Purpose: To investigate whether the volumes of rectum exposed to intermediate doses, from 30 to 50 Gy, contribute to the risk of Grade {>=}2 late rectal toxicity among patients with prostate cancer receiving radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Data from 1009 patients treated on Radiation Therapy OncologyGroupprotocol 94-06 were analyzed using three approaches. First, the contribution of intermediate doses to a previously published fit of the Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (LKB) normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model was determined. Next, the extent to which intermediate doses provide additional risk information, after taking the LKB model into account, was investigated. Third, the proportion of rectum receiving doses higher than a threshold, VDose, was computed for doses ranging from 5 to 85 Gy, and a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine which of these parameters were significantly associated with time to Grade {>=}2 late rectal toxicity. Results: Doses <60 Gy had no detectable impact on the fit of the LKB model, as expected on the basis of the small estimate of the volume parameter (n = 0.077). Furthermore, there was no detectable difference in late rectal toxicity among cohorts with similar risk estimates from the LKB model but with different volumes of rectum exposed to intermediate doses. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model selected V75 as the only value of VDose significantly associated with late rectal toxicity. Conclusions: There is no evidence from these data that intermediate doses influence the risk of Grade {>=}2 late rectal toxicity. Instead, the critical doses for this endpoint seem to be {>=}75 Gy. It is hypothesized that cases of Grade {>=}2 late rectal toxicity occurring among patients with V75 less than approximately 12% may be due to a 'background' level of risk, likely due mainly to biological factors.

Purpose: To investigate whether high-dose thoracic radiation given twice daily during cisplatin-etoposide chemotherapy for limited small-cell lung cancer (LSCLC) improves survival, acute esophagitis, and local control rates relative to findings from Intergroup trial 0096 (47%, 27%, and 64%). Patients and Methods: Patients were accrued over a 3-year period from 22 US and Canadian institutions. Patients with LSCLC and good performance status were given thoracic radiation to 61.2 Gy over 5 weeks (daily 1.8-Gy fractions on days 1-22, then twice-daily 1.8-Gy fractions on days 23-33). Cisplatin (60 mg/m{sup 2} IV) was given on day 1 and etoposide (120 mg/m{sup 2} IV) on days 1-3 and days 22-24, followed by 2 cycles of cisplatin plus etoposide alone. Patients who achieved complete response were offered prophylactic cranial irradiation. Endpoints included overall and progression-free survival; severe esophagitis (Common Toxicity Criteria v 2.0) and treatment-related fatalities; response (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors); and local control. Results: Seventy-two patients were accrued from June 2003 through May 2006; 71 were evaluable (median age 63 years; 52% female; 58% Zubrod 0). Median survival time was 19 months; at 2 years, the overall survival rate was 36.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.6%-47.7%), and progression-free survival 19.7% (95% CI 11.4%-29.6%). Thirteen patients (18%) experienced severe acute esophagitis, and 2 (3%) died of treatment-related causes; 41% achieved complete response, 39% partial response, 10% stable disease, and 6% progressive disease. The local control rate was 73%. Forty-three patients (61%) received prophylactic cranial irradiation. Conclusions: The overall survival rate did not reach the projected goal; however, rates of esophagitis were lower, and local control higher, than projected. This treatment strategy is now one of three arms of a prospective trial of chemoradiation for LSCLC (Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup 0538

In veterinary medical oncology, there is currently no standardized protocol for assessing response to therapy in solid tumours. The lack of such a formalized guideline makes it challenging to critically compare outcome measures across various treatment protocols. The Veterinary Cooperative OncologyGroup (VCOG) membership consensus document presented here is based on the recommendations of a subcommittee of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) board-certified veterinary oncologists. This consensus paper has used the human response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (RECIST v1.1) as a framework to establish standard procedures for response assessment in canine solid tumours that is meant to be easy to use, repeatable and applicable across a variety of clinical trial structures in veterinary oncology. It is hoped that this new canine RECIST (cRECIST v1.0) will be adopted within the veterinary oncology community and thereby facilitate the comparison of current and future treatment protocols used for companion animals with cancer.

Full Text Available Constipation is a problem relatively common even in healthy people, mainly in the western world, influenced mainly by the nutritional diets and the diminution of the physical activity. It is a symptom of difficult valuation by its subjective nature and the difficulty to establish a normality pattern.The incidence is high. It is observed in a 70 - 80% of the patients in terminal situation, the 40 - 50% of the patients with disease outpost and in 90% of the patients dealing with opiate.As nurses in of a palliative care unit we detected the high number of patients which they present/display the symptom and the time that takes in its diagnose and treatment, increasing the incidence-appearance of fecal impactación and intestinal obstruction. It is one of the symptoms that worry to our patients more.We take too frequently the “rectal measures,” being more painful and a little shameful for these patients, instead of using preventive measures, precocious oral treatment and continuous evaluation of the symptom. The knowledge that these patients have of the constipation is in many deficient cases. In order to be able to educate and to take care of to the oncology terminal patient in terminal state with constipation it is essential that we know its physiopathology, causes and complications. Also we will deepen in the most suitable treatment according to the consistency, the effort that the patient must make when defecating and the symptoms that presents/displays, trying that the treatment is customized and individual, although starting off of a previous protocol of performance decided by the health professionals who are going to treat the patient.

Eighty-seven patients from 18 institutions with a confirmed diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia were registered on a Southwest OncologyGroupprotocol for multiagent induction and single-agent maintenance chemotherapy, with randomization to an immunotherapy arm. Elective surgical splenectomy was performed for 42 patients at the completion of 3 months of induction therapy. Final analysis of the study revealed statistically significant survival advantages were correlated with age, splenectomy, the absence of hepatic leukemic infiltrate at the time of splenectomy, and race.

Objectives To provide a history on nursing science within the Gynecology OncologyGroup (GOG); to discuss challenges and facilitators of nursing science in the cooperative group (CG) using a current nurse-led protocol (GOG-0259) as an exemplar; and to propose recommendations aimed at advancing nursing science in the CG setting. Data Source GOG reports and protocol databases, online databases of indexed citations, and experiences from the development and implementation of GOG-0259. Conclusions Benefits of CG research include opportunities for inter-disciplinary collaboration and ability to rapidly accrue large national samples. Challenges include limited financial resources to support non-treatment trials, a cumbersome protocol approval process, and lack of experience with nursing/quality of life intervention studies. Formal structures within GOG need to be created to encourage nurse scientists to become active members; promote collaboration between experienced GOG advanced practice nurses and new nurse scientists to identify nursing research priorities; and consider innovative funding structures to support pilot intervention studies. Implications for Nursing Practice Understanding the CG research process is critical for nurse scientists. A multi-disciplinary team of CG leaders can help investigators navigate a complex research environment and can increase awareness of the value of nursing research. PMID:24559780

The Community Oncology and Prevention Trials Research Group supports clinical oncology trials in cancer prevention and control in community settings. The group also supports investigator-initiated research projects in supportive, palliative and end-of-life care, and coordinates clinical oncology research projects with other NCI programs to be done in the community setting. |

This synopsis outlines the Japanese guideline Version 1.0 for the data acquisition protocol of oncology FDG-PET/CT scans that was created by a joint task force of the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine Technology (JSNMT...

There is an increasing number of new oncology drugs being studied, approved and put into clinical practice based on improvement in progression-free survival, when no overall survival benefits exist. In oncology, the association between progression-free survival and health-related quality of life is currently unknown, despite its importance for patients with cancer, and the unverified assumption that longer progression-free survival indicates improved health-related quality of life. Thus far, only 1 study has investigated this association, providing insufficient evidence and inconclusive results. The objective of this study protocol is to provide increased transparency in supporting a systematic summary of the evidence bearing on this association in oncology. Using the OVID platform in MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases, we will conduct a systematic review of randomised controlled human trials addressing oncology issues published starting in 2000. A team of reviewers will, in pairs, independently screen and abstract data using standardised, pilot-tested forms. We will employ numerical integration to calculate mean incremental area under the curve between treatment groups in studies for health-related quality of life, along with total related error estimates, and a 95% CI around incremental area. To describe the progression-free survival to health-related quality of life association, we will construct a scatterplot for incremental health-related quality of life versus incremental progression-free survival. To estimate the association, we will use a weighted simple regression approach, comparing mean incremental health-related quality of life with either median incremental progression-free survival time or the progression-free survival HR, in the absence of overall survival benefit. Identifying direction and magnitude of association between progression-free survival and health-related quality of life is critically important in interpreting results of oncology

Recently, the researches of quantum group signature (QGS) have attracted a lot of attentions and some typical protocols have been designed for e-payment system, e-government, e-business, etc. In this paper, we analyze the security of the quantum group signature with the example of two novel protocols. It can be seen that both of them cannot be implemented securely since the arbitrator cannot solve the disputes fairly. In order to show that, some possible attack strategies, which can be used by the malicious participants, are proposed. Moreover, the further discussions of QGS are presented finally, including some insecurity factors and improved ideas.

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate practical teaching of nurse residents in a multidisciplinary residency in oncology. Method: A qualitative descriptive study grounded in the problematization methodology and its steps, represented by the Maguerez Arch. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Potentiating and limiting elements of the residency guided the design of a practical teaching protocol from the perspective of residents, structured in three stages: Welcoming and ambience; Nursing care for problem situations; and, Evaluation process. Conclusion: Systematization of practical teaching promoted the autonomy of individuals and the approximation of teaching to reality, making residency less strenuous, stressful and distressing.

Group key exchange protocols are basic protocols to provide privacy and integrity in secure group communication. This paper discusses the security of one type of group key exchange protocols and defines the kind of protocols as broadcaster groupprotocols. It points out two attacks on this kind of protocols. The first attack can be avoided by using fresh values in each action during one session of the groupprotocol. The second attack should be related with concrete application. It also proposes a dynamic key agreement protocol as an example of solutions at the last part of the paper.

The Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) Oncology Nursing Committee (ONC) was initially established in 1983 as a working group with the specific aim of promoting protocol compliance through collaboration, communication, and education to enhance the scientific goals of the Group. Due to the efforts of its members, the committee gained full committee status. ONC members now serve as principal investigators and coinvestigators on research studies, continue to sponsor biannual educational sessions individually and in concert with other CALGB committees, and continue to develop tools to enlighten patients about their disease and the clinical trial process. The ONC, an administrative group of 12 members, provides leadership within CALGB. Although ONC members have always acted as liaisons to the disease and modality committees, three positions have recently been designated specifically for doctorally prepared nurse scientists. Since its inception, general nurse membership within the group has more than doubled to a total of more than 500 members.

Outcomes for patients with metastatic and recurrent Ewing sarcoma remain poor and a better understanding of the biology of this malignancy is critical to the development of prognostic biomarkers and novel therapies. Therefore, the Children's OncologyGroup (COG) has created tissue banking protocols designed to collect high quality, clinically annotated, tumor specimens that can be distributed to researchers to perform basic science and correlative investigation. Data from the COG Ewing sarcoma tissue banking protocols AEWS02B1 and its successor study AEWS07B1 were reviewed in this study. Six-hundred and thirty five patients were enrolled on AEWS02B1 and 396 patients have had tissue submitted to AEWS07B1. The average age of participation was 13.2 years. About 86% were less than 19 years old and only 6% were greater than 21 years of age at diagnosis. When compared to SEER data, approximately 18% of all cases and only 8% of all patients >20 years old diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma annually in the United States have had tumor banked. The majority of participants submitted formalin fixed, paraffin embedded, primary tumor and blood samples. In total, fresh frozen tissue was submitted for only 29% of cases. Only seven metastatic tumor samples have been collected. Although the COG has been successful in collecting tumor samples from patients newly diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, fresh frozen tumor specimens from primary and metastatic disease are critically needed, especially from young adult patients, in order to conduct high quality basic science and translational research investigation with a goal of developing better treatments.

Outcomes for patients with metastatic and recurrent Ewing sarcoma remain poor and a better understanding of the biology of this malignancy is critical to the development of prognostic biomarkers and novel therapies. Therefore, the Children’s OncologyGroup (COG) has created tissue banking protocols designed to collect high quality, clinically annotated, tumor specimens that can be distributed to researchers to perform basic science and correlative investigation. Data from the COG Ewing sarcoma tissue banking protocols AEWS02B1 and its successor study AEWS07B1 were reviewed in this study. Six-hundred and thirty five patients were enrolled on AEWS02B1 and 396 patients have had tissue submitted to AEWS07B1. The average age of participation was 13.2 years. About 86% were less than 19 years old and only 6% were greater than 21 years of age at diagnosis. When compared to SEER data, approximately 18% of all cases and only 8% of all patients >20 years old diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma annually in the United States have had tumor banked. The majority of participants submitted formalin fixed, paraffin embedded, primary tumor and blood samples. In total, fresh frozen tissue was submitted for only 29% of cases. Only seven metastatic tumor samples have been collected. Although the COG has been successful in collecting tumor samples from patients newly diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, fresh frozen tumor specimens from primary and metastatic disease are critically needed, especially from young adult patients, in order to conduct high quality basic science and translational research investigation with a goal of developing better treatments. PMID:23519678

Describes a therapy group for cancer patients, conducted by cotherapists in an oncology waiting room. Group members provided mutual support and shared concerns and coping methods. Medical staff members became more involved and were more able to address the affective needs of the patients and their families. (JAC)

This article presents a groupprotocol designed to assist people in coping with direct and ongoing threats of terrorism. The protocol is intended to enable participants to address the psychological issues necessary to cope during periods of extreme threat. A step-by-step description of the protocol is provided.

The 1978 report of the Working Group of Postgraduate Training in Clinical Oncology, convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe in collaboration with the government of The Netherlands, is presented. The groups analyzed models of postgraduate training in clinical oncology and evaluated their suitability in relation to…

Important considerations for exercise trials in cancer patients are contamination and differential drop-out among the control group members that might jeopardize the internal validity. This systematic review provides an overview of different control groups design characteristics of exercise-oncology trials and explores the association with contamination and drop-out rates. Randomized controlled exercise-oncology trials from two Cochrane reviews were included. Additionally, a computer-aided search using Medline (Pubmed), Embase and CINAHL was conducted after completion date of the Cochrane reviews. Eligible studies were classified according to three control group design characteristics: the exercise instruction given to controls before start of the study (exercise allowed or not); and the intervention the control group was offered during (any (e.g., education sessions or telephone contacts) or none) or after (any (e.g., cross-over or exercise instruction) or none) the intervention period. Contamination (yes or no) and excess drop-out rates (i.e., drop-out rate of the control group minus the drop-out rate exercise group) were described according to the three design characteristics of the control group and according to the combinations of these three characteristics; so we additionally made subgroups based on combinations of type and timing of instructions received. 40 exercise-oncology trials were included based on pre-specified eligibility criteria. The lowest contamination (7.1% of studies) and low drop-out rates (excess drop-out rate -4.7±9.2) were found in control groups offered an intervention after the intervention period. When control groups were offered an intervention both during and after the intervention period, contamination (0%) and excess drop-out rates (-10.0±12.8%) were even lower. Control groups receiving an intervention during and after the study intervention period have lower contamination and drop-out rates. The present findings can be

Full Text Available Vivek Arora, Shannon Philp, Kathryn Nattress, Selvan Pather, Christopher Dalrymple, Kenneth Atkinson, Sofia Smirnova, Stephen Cotterell, Jonathan CarterSydney Gynecological OncologyGroup, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, AustraliaPurpose: Patient satisfaction with the provision of hospital oncology services can have a significant impact on their overall treatment experience.Aims: To assess patient satisfaction with the inpatient hospital services in the gynecological oncology setting using the IN-PATSAT32 questionnaire developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC.Methods: A modified version of the IN-PATSAT32 questionnaire with additional 16 items was administered to 52 adult surgical inpatients admitted with the Sydney Gynecological OncologyGroup. All participants were provided with an information leaflet regarding the survey and written consent obtained.Results: A high response rate (100% from patients with varied social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds confirmed the acceptability of the survey. Standard of medical care provided, frequency of doctors’ visits, exchange of information with doctors, friendliness of the staff, and state of the room ranked highly (>95% on the patient satisfaction scales. Problems were identified with ease of access to and within the hospital, quality of food, and exchange of information with other hospital staff.Conclusions: Overall the satisfaction with inpatient care was rated very highly in most areas. Deficiencies in certain elements of provision of medical care to the patients were identified and steps have been taken to improve upon these shortcomings.Keywords: patient satisfaction, EORTC, IN-PATSAT32, gynecological oncology, survey

With the publication of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/National Cancer Information Center (EORTC/NCIC) trial, concomitant radiochemotherapy followed by intermittent chemotherapy became the new treatment standard for patients with primary glioblastoma. Eight years after widespread introduction of this protocol, it is of interest to investigate whether this new standard has been established in daily neuro-oncologic practice. We were particularly interested in its practicality within a neurosurgical neuro-oncologic setting. We analyzed primary glioblastoma patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2013 treated at our center according to the EORTC/NCIC trial. Parameters associated with treatment performance (interruption of radiotherapy, concomitant chemotherapy and intermittent chemotherapy, total number of cycles, and side effects) were retrospectively analyzed and compared with the available data from the EORTC/NCIC trial. In this single-center retrospective study, we identified 189 patients (116 men, 73 women; median age: 62 years) who were treated according to the EORTC/NCIC trial protocol. A total of 176 patients received cytoreductive surgery; 13 patients had stereotactic biopsy only (EORTC/NCIC trial: 239 patients and 48 patients, respectively). Radiotherapy had to be interrupted in 9 patients (5%) (EORTC/NCIC trial: 15 patients [5%]) and concomitant chemotherapy in 26 patients (14%) (EORTC/NCIC trial: 37 patients [13%]). In 156 patients (83%), adjuvant TMZ chemotherapy was initiated (6 median temozolomide [TMZ] cycles; range: 1-30). In the EORTC/NCIC trial, 223 patients (47%) received the intermittent chemotherapy protocol (median: 3 cycles; range: 1-7). Overall, 97 patients (62%) completed 6 TMZ cycles (EORTC/NCIC-trial: 105 patients [47%]); dose escalation to 200 mg/qm at the second cycle was performed in 91 patients (58%) (versus 149 patients [67%]). Intermittent TMZ therapy was discontinued in 59 patients (38%) (versus 118

Background Informed consent forms (ICFs) for oncology clinical trials have grown increasingly longer and more complex. We evaluated objective understanding of critical components of informed consent among patients enrolling in contemporary trials of conventional or novel biologic/targeted therapies. Methods We evaluated ICFs for cancer clinical trials for length and readability, and patients registered on those studies were asked to complete a validated 14-question survey assessing their understanding of key characteristics of the trial. Mean scores were compared in groups defined by trial and patient characteristics. Results Fifty patients, of whom half participated in trials of immunotherapy or biologic/targeted agents and half in trials of conventional therapy, completed the survey. On average, ICFs for industry-originated trials (N = 9 trials) were significantly longer (P < .0001) and had lower Flesch ease-of-reading scores (P = .003) than investigator-initiated trials (N = 11). At least 80% of patients incorrectly responded to three key questions which addressed the experimental nature of their trial therapy, its purported efficacy and potential risks relative to alternative treatments. The mean objective understanding score was 76.9±8.8, but it was statistically significantly lower for patients who had not completed high school (P = .011). The scores did not differ significantly by type of cancer therapy (P = .12) or trial sponsor (P = .38). Conclusions Many participants enrolled on cancer trials had poor understanding of essential elements of their trial. In order to ensure true informed consent, innovative approaches, such as expanded in-person counseling adapted to the patient’s education level or cultural characteristics should be evaluated across socio-demographic groups. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01772511 PMID:28235011

Full Text Available Clinical trials data from National Cancer Institute (NCI-funded cooperative oncologygroup trials could be enhanced by merging with external data sources. Merging without direct patient identifiers would provide additional patient privacy protections. We sought to develop and validate a matching algorithm that uses only indirect patient identifiers.We merged the data from two Phase III Children's OncologyGroup (COG trials for de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML with the Pediatric Health Information Systems (PHIS. We developed a stepwise matching algorithm that used indirect identifiers including treatment site, gender, birth year, birth month, enrollment year and enrollment month. Results from the stepwise algorithm were compared against the direct merge method that used date of birth, treatment site, and gender. The indirect merge algorithm was developed on AAML0531 and validated on AAML1031.Of 415 patients enrolled on the AAML0531 trial at PHIS centers, we successfully matched 378 (91.1% patients using the indirect stepwise algorithm. Comparison to the direct merge result suggested that 362 (95.7% matches identified by the indirect merge algorithm were concordant with the direct merge result. When validating the indirect stepwise algorithm using the AAML1031 trial, we successfully matched 157 out of 165 patients (95.2% and 150 (95.5% of the indirectly merged matches were concordant with the directly merged matches.These data demonstrate that patients enrolled on COG clinical trials can be successfully merged with PHIS administrative data using a stepwise algorithm based on indirect patient identifiers. The merged data sets can be used as a platform for comparative effectiveness and cost effectiveness studies.

Advances in the management of gliomas, including the approval of agents such as temozolomide and bevacizumab, have created an evolving therapeutic landscape in glioma treatment, thus affecting our ability to reliably use historical controls to comparatively assess the activity of new therapies. Furthermore, the increasing availability of novel, targeted agents--which are competing for a small patient population, in view of the low incidence of primary brain tumours--draws attention to the need to improve the efficiency of phase 2 clinical testing in neuro-oncology to expeditiously transition the most promising of these drugs or combinations to potentially practice-changing phase 3 trials. In this report from the Response Assessment in Neurooncology (RANO) group, we review phase 2 trial designs that can address these challenges and capitalise on scientific and clinical advances in brain tumour treatment in neuro-oncology to accelerate and optimise the selection of drugs deserving further testing in phase 3 trials. Although there is still a small role for single-arm and non-comparative phase 2 designs, emphasis is placed on the potential role that comparative randomised phase 2 designs--such as screening designs, selection designs, discontinuation designs, and adaptive designs, including seamless phase 2/3 designs--can have. The rational incorporation of these designs, as determined by the specific clinical setting and the trial's endpoints or goals, has the potential to substantially advance new drug development in neuro-oncology.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Guidelines in paediatric oncology encourage health care providers to share relevant information with young patients and parents to enable their active participation in decision making. It is not clear to what extent this mirrors patients' and parents' preferences. This study investigated communication preferences of childhood cancer patients, parents, and survivors of childhood cancer. Methods Communication preferences were examined by means of online focus groups. Seven patients (aged 8–17, 11 parents, and 18 survivors (aged 8–17 at diagnosis participated. Recruitment took place by consecutive inclusion in two Dutch university oncological wards. Questions concerned preferences regarding interpersonal relationships, information exchange and participation in decision making. Results Participants expressed detailed and multi-faceted views regarding their needs and preferences in communication in paediatric oncology. They agreed on the importance of several interpersonal and informational aspects of communication, such as honesty, support, and the need to be fully informed. Participants generally preferred a collaborative role in medical decision making. Differences in views were found regarding the desirability of the patient's presence during consultations. Patients differed in their satisfaction with their parents' role as managers of the communication. Conclusion Young patients' preferences mainly concur with current guidelines of providing them with medical information and enabling their participation in medical decision making. Still, some variation in preferences was found, which faces health care providers with the task of balancing between the sometimes conflicting preferences of young cancer patients and their parents.

In a traditional (t,n)-threshold secret sharing scheme,t or more honest participants can reconstruct the secret K.In the reconstruction process,the individual shares and the secret key K are revealed,hence K is shared once only. In this paper,we firstly give the definition of leakproof secret sharing scheme which is composed of a distribution protocol and a proof protocol,then propose two leakproof secret sharing protocols,a computationally secure protocol and an information-theoretically secure protocol.In our protocols,t or more participants can jointly prove that they hold the secret K by using a multi-prover zero-knowledge argument of knowledge.As a result,the secret K will be shared for as many times as desired.Furthermore,each participant can detect the dealer in the distribution protocol from cheating,and any verifier can prevent non-qualified set of participants in proof protocol from cheating.As an example of the practical impact of our work we use our techniques to construct group identification schemes with zero-knowledge.

The past decade has been characterised by movement from a doctor-centred to a patient-centred approach to treatment outcomes, in which doctors try to see the illness through their patients' eyes. Patients, family members and doctors are the three participants in cancer care, but their perspectives about what have been helpful during cancer treatment have never simultaneously and explicitly compared in the same qualitative study. The aim of this study project is to explore patients' perspectives about the care they receive, as well as families' and doctors' perspectives about what have been helpful for the patient. These three points of view will be compared and contrasted in order to analyse the convergences and divergences in these perspectives. This is a national multicentre qualitative study. Participants will be constituted by three different subsamples: (1) patients with cancer (skin, breast, urological and lung cancers), (2) their relatives, and (3) their referring physicians. Recruitment will follow the purposive sample technique, and the final sample size will be determined by data saturation. Data will be collected through open-ended semistructured interviews and independently analysed with NVivo V.10 software by three researchers according to the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The research protocol received approval from the University Paris Descartes review board (IRB number: 20140600001072), and participants will provide written consent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to focus on the simultaneous exploration of the separate points of view of patients, families and doctors about the care received during the cancer care journey. We expect that our findings will help to improve communication and relationships between doctors, patients and families. Comparison of these three points of view will provide information about the convergences and divergences of these perspectives and how to address the needs of all

To report our experience on implementation and preliminary results of a decision-making model based on the recommendations of an Interdisciplinary Oncological Care Group developed for the management of colorectal cancer. The multidisciplinary team identified a reference guideline using appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation (AGREE) tool based on a sequential assessment of the guideline quality. Thereafter, internal guidelines with diagnostic and therapeutic management for early, locally advanced and metastatic colonic and rectal cancer were drafted; organizational aspects, responsibility matrices, protocol actions for each area of specialty involved and indicators for performing audits were also defined. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) UK guideline was the reference for drafting the internal guideline document; from February to November 2013, 125 patients with colorectal cancer were discussed by and taken under the care of the Interdisciplinary Oncological Care Group. The first audit performed in December 2013 revealed optimal adherence to the internal guideline, mainly in terms of uniformity and accuracy of perioperative staging, coordination and timing of multi-modal therapies. To date, all patients under observation are within the diagnostic and therapeutic course, no patient came out from the multidisciplinary "path" and only in 14% of cases have the first recommendations proposed been changed. The selected indicators appear effective and reliable, while at the moment, it is not yet possible to assess the impact of the multidisciplinary team on clinical outcome. Although having a short observation period, our model seems capable of determining optimal uniformity of diagnostic and therapeutic management, to a high degree of patient satisfaction. A longer observation period is necessary in order to confirm these observations and for assessing the impact on clinical outcome.

The key challenge of dynamic peer communication is how to realize secure and efficient group key management.A two rounds key agreement protocol for dynamic peer group (DPG) is proposed in this paper.The protocol,which was obtained by combining the E1Gamal encryption scheme with the E1Gamal signature scheme,is efficient and simple.The protocol is proven secure against passive attack by using indistinguishable method.Moreover,both perfect forward secrecy (PFS) and key independence (KI) were achieved.Because the protocol is based on the broadcast channel,it is also suitable for key agreement in wireless communications,especially in ad-hoc networks.

To briefly review history, structure, past events and future projects of AIRO (Associazione Italiana Radioterapia Oncologica) young group (AIRO Giovani), focusing on its specific commitment to multidisciplnary networking among junior clinical oncologists at a national and international level. AIRO Giovani is a part of AIRO composed by members under 40 years old. Its main activities are scientific and educational meetings dedicated to young Italian radiation oncologists and collaborative research projects. AIRO Giovani structure, events organized and supported by AIRO giovani as well as scientific activities are here reported from its creation in 2007 up to current days. AIRO Giovani group was able to create a consolidated network between Italian junior radiation oncologists, while opening the possibility to collaborate with junior groups of other national scientific societies in the field of oncology and with ESTRO young members. Scientific projects carried out by the group have been successful and will be further implemented in next years. AIRO Giovani is still in its infancy, but its early positive experience supports the creation and development of young groups within national radiation oncology societies.

Aim To briefly review history, structure, past events and future projects of AIRO (Associazione Italiana Radioterapia Oncologica) young group (AIRO Giovani), focusing on its specific commitment to multidisciplnary networking among junior clinical oncologists at a national and international level. Background AIRO Giovani is a part of AIRO composed by members under 40 years old. Its main activities are scientific and educational meetings dedicated to young Italian radiation oncologists and collaborative research projects. Materials and Methods AIRO Giovani structure, events organized and supported by AIRO giovani as well as scientific activities are here reported from its creation in 2007 up to current days. Results AIRO Giovani group was able to create a consolidated network between Italian junior radiation oncologists, while opening the possibility to collaborate with junior groups of other national scientific societies in the field of oncology and with ESTRO young members. Scientific projects carried out by the group have been successful and will be further implemented in next years. Conclusions AIRO Giovani is still in its infancy, but its early positive experience supports the creation and development of young groups within national radiation oncology societies. PMID:24669305

Reliable group ordered delivery of multicast messages in a distributed system is a useful service that simplifies the programming of distributed applications. Such a service helps to maintain the consistency of replicated information and to coordinate the activities of the various processes. With the increasing popularity of the Internet, there is an increasing interest in scaling the protocols that provide this service to the environment of the Internet. The InterGroupprotocol suite, described in this dissertation, provides such a service, and is intended for the environment of the Internet with scalability to large numbers of nodes and high latency links. The InterGroupprotocols approach the scalability problem from various directions. They redefine the meaning of group membership, allow voluntary membership changes, add a receiver-oriented selection of delivery guarantees that permits heterogeneity of the receiver set, and provide a scalable reliability service. The InterGroup system comprises several components, executing at various sites within the system. Each component provides part of the services necessary to implement a group communication system for the wide-area. The components can be categorized as: (1) control hierarchy, (2) reliable multicast, (3) message distribution and delivery, and (4) process group membership. We have implemented a prototype of the InterGroupprotocols in Java, and have tested the system performance in both local-area and wide-area networks.

Initially, Gastrointestinal Study Group in Japan Clinical OncologyGroup (GIOSG/JCOG) focused on gastric cancer. In 1980s, fluoropyrimidine, cisplatin and mitomycin C were key drugs. A randomized Phase II trial (JCOG8501) comparing futrafur plus mitomycin C and uracil plus futrafur and mitomycin C showed a higher response rate of uracil plus futrafur and mitomycin C than futrafur plus mitomycin C. From the results of two Phase II trials of etoposide, adriamycin and cisplatin, and cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil, uracil plus futrafur and mitomycin C and cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil were adopted for the test arms of the Phase III trial (JCOG9205) comparing with continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil as a control arm. Neither cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil nor uracil plus futrafur and mitomycin C showed a survival benefit over continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil. In late 1990s, new agents, irinotecan and S-1, were developed for gastric cancer in Japan. GIOSG conducted a Phase III trial (JCOG9912) investigating superiority of irinotecan plus cisplatin and non-inferiority of monotherapy with S-1 compared with continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil, and S-1 succeeded in showing non-inferiority. Then, SPIRITS trial showed a survival benefit of S-1 plus cisplatin over S-1, resulting in the establishment of a standard care for advanced gastric cancer in Japan. GIOSG have merged with Gastric Cancer Study Group as the Stomach Cancer Study Group (SCSG) from 2011. Recent progress in the development of new drugs has been remarkable. From the point of the roles shared with many other study groups for clinical trials, including registration trials of new drugs conducted by pharmaceutical companies, SCSG should recognize its role and conduct clinical trials with high quality for establishing new standard treatment.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is increasingly viewed as one of the important skills required for a successful career and personal life. Consequently, efforts have been made to improve personal and group performance in EI, mostly in commercial organizations. However, these programs have not been widely applied in the health field. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of a unique special EI interventional process within the framework of an active hematology-oncology unit in a general hospital. This investigation employed a pre- and post-training design using the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) measure of EI, both before and after completion of training 10 months later. The training included personal and group EI assessments and 10 EI workshops, each 2 weeks apart and each lasting approximately 2 h. Results were compared to a control group of medical staff who did not undergo any EI training program during the same time period. Average total Bar-On EQ-i level at baseline for the group was 97.9, which increased significantly after the interventional process to a score of 105.6 (P = 0.001). There were also significant increases in all five main EQ-i scales, as well as for 12 of the 15 subscales. In contrast, the control group showed no significant differences in general EI level, in any of the five main scales or 15 EI subscale areas. This pilot study demonstrated the capability of a group intervention to improve EI of medical staff working in a hematology-oncological unit. The results are encouraging and suggest that the model program could be successfully applied in a large-scale interventional program.

Full Text Available In this paper we aim to outline a protocol for the implementation of favorable social group, aiming to highlight a number of specific factors such as number of persons, type of group, which features the most important steps such as introduction, conduct etc. group. It will also enhance the models and techniques for applying the basic methods appreciative of this group. To achieve this subchapter shall follow the defining characteristics of a group as they are presented in the literature. Besides theoretical directions emphasis will be placed on how to implement in practice by mixing methodological relizat appreciative group socialization.

In this paper the formal and contentual structure of the outpatient art education programme for oncological patients is presented. The group intervention was comprised of 22 separate sessions. The course consisted of 3 phases. The first unit helped to foster mutual understanding and to learn various experimental drawing techniques using a given topic. The second unit merged into the shaping of personal thoughts and feelings with the aim of encouraging self-perception and reflection. The aim in the third phase is to create a personal book. The effects of the intervention for the participants were examined in studies. The art therapist as well as the supervisor sees development of better coping strategies, contact with other patients and enhancement of scope of action through the regular activities as main effects. Participants reported the enlargement of means of expression, emotional stabilization, coping with illness, personal growth and contacts with other patients as meanings. This art education course enlarges the field of psycho-oncological interventions in outpatient care with a low-treshhold and resource-oriented creative programme.

Induction chemotherapy-based larynx preservation protocols use chemotherapy to select exclusively patients with 'chemosensitive' tumors for a nonsurgical treatment with radiation therapy. This study on pyriform sinus squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is interested in the oncological outcome of treatment based on radiation therapy when offered to patients with tumors responding to induction chemotherapy. This was a retrospective cohort study. The cohort included good responders to induction chemotherapy, subsequently treated with definite radiation therapy (with or without concomitant chemotherapy) for pyriform sinus SCC, in a tertiary referral cancer center. The primary endpoints were overall, laryngectomy-free and disease-free survival and the secondary endpoints were analysis of treatment failures and possibilities of salvage treatment. Forty-two patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis; 7% were stage II (3/42), 48% stage III (20/42) and 45% stage IV (19/42). At 1, 3 and 5 years, the overall survival was 95% (40/42), 74% (31/42), and 60% (SE ≈ 0.08), respectively. For the same intervals, the laryngectomy-free survival was 90% (38/42), 69% (29/42) and 50% (SE ≈ 0.08), respectively. The estimated 5-year disease-free survival was also 50%. Disease-free survival was significantly better for N0 patients. There was a 28% recurrence rate, mainly in the primary tumor site (9/11), with or without simultaneous nodal recurrence. Interestingly, more than one-third of all oncologic failures occurred beyond the first 3 years of follow-up. Salvage treatment was not possible or definitely inefficient in at least 2/3 of all recurrences. In candidates for larynx preservation for a pyriform sinus SCC, good response to induction chemotherapy followed by definite radiation therapy seems to be associated with a more favorable prognosis. Nevertheless, in case of locoregional recurrence the possibilities for efficient salvage treatment are limited.

Immunotherapy represents a promising area of therapy among neuro-oncology patients. However, early phase studies reveal unique challenges associated with assessment of radiological changes reflecting delayed responses or therapy-induced inflammation. Clinical benefit, including long-term survival and tumor regression, can still occur following initial apparent progression or appearance of new lesions. Refinement of response assessment criteria for neuro-oncology patients undergoing immunotherapy is therefore warranted. A multinational and multidisciplinary panel of neuro-oncology immunotherapy experts describes immunotherapy response assessment for neuro-oncology (iRANO) criteria that are based on guidance for determination of tumor progression outlined by the immune-related response criteria (irRC) and the response assessment in neuro-oncology (RANO) working group. Among patients who demonstrate imaging findings meeting RANO criteria for progressive disease (PD) within six months of initiating immunotherapy including the development of new lesions, confirmation of radiographic progression on follow-up imaging is recommended provided that the patient is not significantly worse clinically. The proposed criteria also include guidelines for use of corticosteroids. The role of advanced imaging techniques and measurement of clinical benefit endpoints including neurologic and immunologic functions are reviewed. The iRANO guidelines put forth herein will evolve successively to improve their utility as further experience from immunotherapy trials in neuro-oncology accumulate. PMID:26545842

Background: The purpose of this article is to describe and evaluate the methodology of online focus group discussions within the setting of paediatric oncology. Methods: Qualitative study consisting of separate moderated asynchronous online discussion groups with 7 paediatric cancer patients (aged 8

This analysis compared the numbers of patients treated at Italian pediatric oncologygroup (Associazione Italiana Ematologia Oncologia Pediatrica [AIEOP]) centers with the numbers of cases predicted according to the population-based registry. It considered 32,431 patients registered in the AIEOP database (1989-2012). The ratio of observed (O) to expected (E) cases was 0.79 for children (0-14 years old) and 0.15 for adolescents (15-19 years old). The proportion of adolescents increased significantly over the years, however, from 0.05 in the earliest period to 0.10, 0.18, and then 0.28 in the latest period of observation, suggesting a greater efficacy of local/national programs dedicated to adolescents.

Purpose: To report the process and initial experience of remote credentialing of three-dimensional (3D) image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) as part of the quality assurance (QA) of submitted data for Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (RTOG) clinical trials; and to identify major issues resulting from this process and analyze the review results on patient positioning shifts. Methods and Materials: Image guided radiation therapy datasets including in-room positioning CT scans and daily shifts applied were submitted through the Image Guided Therapy QA Center from institutions for the IGRT credentialing process, as required by various RTOG trials. A centralized virtual environment is established at the RTOG Core Laboratory, containing analysis tools and database infrastructure for remote review by the Physics Principal Investigators of each protocol. The appropriateness of IGRT technique and volumetric image registration accuracy were evaluated. Registration accuracy was verified by repeat registration with a third-party registration software system. With the accumulated review results, registration differences between those obtained by the Physics Principal Investigators and from the institutions were analyzed for different imaging sites, shift directions, and imaging modalities. Results: The remote review process was successfully carried out for 87 3D cases (out of 137 total cases, including 2-dimensional and 3D) during 2010. Frequent errors in submitted IGRT data and challenges in the review of image registration for some special cases were identified. Workarounds for these issues were developed. The average differences of registration results between reviewers and institutions ranged between 2 mm and 3 mm. Large discrepancies in the superior-inferior direction were found for megavoltage CT cases, owing to low spatial resolution in this direction for most megavoltage CT cases. Conclusion: This first experience indicated that remote review for 3D IGRT as part of QA

To report the process and initial experience of remote credentialing of three-dimensional (3D) image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) as part of the quality assurance (QA) of submitted data for Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (RTOG) clinical trials; and to identify major issues resulting from this process and analyze the review results on patient positioning shifts. Image guided radiation therapy datasets including in-room positioning CT scans and daily shifts applied were submitted through the Image Guided Therapy QA Center from institutions for the IGRT credentialing process, as required by various RTOG trials. A centralized virtual environment is established at the RTOG Core Laboratory, containing analysis tools and database infrastructure for remote review by the Physics Principal Investigators of each protocol. The appropriateness of IGRT technique and volumetric image registration accuracy were evaluated. Registration accuracy was verified by repeat registration with a third-party registration software system. With the accumulated review results, registration differences between those obtained by the Physics Principal Investigators and from the institutions were analyzed for different imaging sites, shift directions, and imaging modalities. The remote review process was successfully carried out for 87 3D cases (out of 137 total cases, including 2-dimensional and 3D) during 2010. Frequent errors in submitted IGRT data and challenges in the review of image registration for some special cases were identified. Workarounds for these issues were developed. The average differences of registration results between reviewers and institutions ranged between 2 mm and 3 mm. Large discrepancies in the superior-inferior direction were found for megavoltage CT cases, owing to low spatial resolution in this direction for most megavoltage CT cases. This first experience indicated that remote review for 3D IGRT as part of QA for RTOG clinical trials is feasible and effective

Purpose: To define a male and female pelvic normal tissue contouring atlas for Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (RTOG) trials. Methods and Materials: One male pelvis computed tomography (CT) data set and one female pelvis CT data set were shared via the Image-Guided Therapy QA Center. A total of 16 radiation oncologists participated. The following organs at risk were contoured in both CT sets: anus, anorectum, rectum (gastrointestinal and genitourinary definitions), bowel NOS (not otherwise specified), small bowel, large bowel, and proximal femurs. The following were contoured in the male set only: bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles, and penile bulb. The following were contoured in the female set only: uterus, cervix, and ovaries. A computer program used the binomial distribution to generate 95% group consensus contours. These contours and definitions were then reviewed by the group and modified. Results: The panel achieved consensus definitions for pelvic normal tissue contouring in RTOG trials with these standardized names: Rectum, AnoRectum, SmallBowel, Colon, BowelBag, Bladder, UteroCervix, Adnexa{sub R}, Adnexa{sub L}, Prostate, SeminalVesc, PenileBulb, Femur{sub R}, and Femur{sub L}. Two additional normal structures whose purpose is to serve as targets in anal and rectal cancer were defined: AnoRectumSig and Mesorectum. Detailed target volume contouring guidelines and images are discussed. Conclusions: Consensus guidelines for pelvic normal tissue contouring were reached and are available as a CT image atlas on the RTOG Web site. This will allow uniformity in defining normal tissues for clinical trials delivering pelvic radiation and will facilitate future normal tissue complication research.

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of diseases. They often remain localized, and they generally have a more indolent course and a better prognosis than lymphomas in other locations. They are highly radiosensitive, and radiation therapy is an important part of the treatment, either as the sole treatment or as part of a multimodality approach. Radiation therapy of primary cutaneous lymphomas requires the use of special techniques that form the focus of these guidelines. The International Lymphoma Radiation OncologyGroup has developed these guidelines after multinational meetings and analysis of available evidence. The guidelines represent an agreed consensus view of the International Lymphoma Radiation OncologyGroup steering committee on the use of radiation therapy in primary cutaneous lymphomas in the modern era.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pain is one of the most frequent and distressing symptoms in cancer patients. For the majority of the patients, sufficient pain relief can be obtained if adequate treatment is provided. However, pain remains often undertreated due to institutional, health care professional and patient related barriers. Patients self management skills are affected by the patients' knowledge, activities and attitude to pain management. This trial protocol is aimed to test the SCION-PAIN program, a multi modular structured intervention to improve self management in cancer patients with pain. Methods 240 patients with diagnosed malignancy and pain > 3 days and average pain ≥ 3/10 will participate in a cluster randomized trial on 18 wards in 2 German university hospitals. Patients from the intervention wards will receive, additionally to standard pain treatment, the SCION-PAIN program consisting of 3 modules: pharmacologic pain management, nonpharmacologic pain management and discharge management. The intervention will be conducted by specially trained oncology nurses and includes components of patient education, skills training and counseling to improve self care regarding pain management beginning with admission followed by booster session every 3rd day and one follow up telephone counseling within 2 to 3 days after discharge. Patients in the control group will receive standard care. Primary endpoint is the group difference in patient related barriers to management of cancer pain (BQII, 7 days after discharge. Secondary endpoints are: pain intensity & interference, adherence, coping and HRQoL. Discussion The study will determine if the acquired self management skills of the patients continue to be used after discharge from hospital. It is hypothesized that patients who receive the multi modular structured intervention will have less patient related barriers and a better self management of cancer pain. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials NCT

One of the primary objectives of the Oncology Pathology Working Group (OPWG), a joint initiative of the Veterinary Cancer Society and the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, is for oncologists and pathologists to collaboratively generate consensus documents to standardize aspects of and provide guidelines for oncologic pathology. Consensus is established through review of relevant peer-reviewed literature relative to a subgroup's particular focus. In this document, the authors provide descriptions of the literature reviewed, the review process, and a summary of the information gathered on immunocytochemistry. The intent of this publication is to help educate practitioners and pathologists on the process of immunocytochemistry and to provide a guide for the use of this technique in veterinary medicine. This document represents the opinions of the working group and the authors and does not constitute a formal endorsement by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists or the Veterinary Cancer Society.

The goal of this work was to validate the Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (RTOG)-endorsed guidelines for brachial plexus (BP) contouring by determining the intra- and interobserver agreement. Accuracy of the delineation process was determined using anatomically validated imaging datasets as a gold standard. Five observers delineated the right BP on three cadaver computed tomography (CT) datasets. To assess intraobserver variation, every observer repeated each delineation three times with a time interval of 2 weeks. The BP contours were divided into four regions for detailed analysis. Inter- and intraobserver variation was verified using the Computerized Environment for Radiation Research (CERR) software. Accuracy was measured using anatomically validated fused CT-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) datasets by measuring the BP inclusion of the delineations. The overall kappa (κ) values were rather low (mean interobserver overall κ: 0.29, mean intraobserver overall κ: 0.45), indicating poor inter- and intraobserver reliability. In general, the κ coefficient decreased gradually from the medial to lateral BP regions. The total agreement volume (TAV) was much smaller than the union volume (UV) for all delineations, resulting in a low Jaccard index (JI; interobserver agreement 0-0.124; intraobserver agreement 0.004-0.636). The overall accuracy was poor, with an average total BP inclusion of 38 %. Inclusions were insufficient for the most lateral regions (region 3: 21.5 %; region 4: 12.6 %). The inter- and intraobserver reliability of the RTOG-endorsed BP contouring guidelines was poor. BP inclusion worsened from the medial to lateral regions. Accuracy assessment of the contours showed an average BP inclusion of 38 %. For the first time, this was assessed using the original anatomically validated BP volume. The RTOG-endorsed BP guidelines have insufficient accuracy and reliability, especially for the lateral head-and-neck regions. (orig.) [German] Ziel der Studie war

Maternal diet during pregnancy may be associated with cancer in offspring. Intake of individual foods, as well as dietary patterns, can be used when examining these relations. Here, the authors examined associations between maternal dietary intake patterns and pediatric germ cell tumors (GCTs) using principal components analysis and logistic regression. Mothers of 222 GCT cases aged less than 15 years who were diagnosed at a Children's OncologyGroup institution between 1993 and 2001 and thos...

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is an important curative treatment for children with high-risk hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, and, increasingly, nonmalignant diseases. Given improvements in care, there are a growing number of long-term survivors of pediatric HCT. Compared with childhood cancer survivors who did not undergo transplantation, HCT survivors have a substantially increased burden of serious chronic conditions and impairments involving virtually every organ system and overall quality of life. This likely reflects the joint contributions of pretransplantation treatment exposures and organ dysfunction, the transplantation conditioning regimen, and any post-transplantation graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In response, the Children's OncologyGroup (COG) has created long-term follow-up guidelines (www.survivorshipguidelines.org) for survivors of childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer, including those who were treated with HCT. Guideline task forces, consisting of HCT specialists, other pediatric oncologists, radiation oncologists, organ-specific subspecialists, nurses, social workers, other health care professionals, and patient advocates systematically reviewed the literature with regards to late effects after childhood cancer and HCT since 2002, with the most recent review completed in 2013. For the most recent review cycle, over 800 articles from the medical literature relevant to childhood cancer and HCT survivorship were reviewed, including 586 original research articles. Provided herein is an organ system-based overview that emphasizes the most relevant COG recommendations (with accompanying evidence grade) for the long-term follow-up care of childhood HCT survivors (regardless of current age) based on a rigorous review of the available evidence. These recommendations cover both autologous and allogeneic HCT survivors, those who underwent transplantation for nonmalignant diseases, and those with a history of chronic GVHD.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines in paediatric oncology encourage health care providers to share relevant information with young patients and parents to enable their active participation in decision making. It is not clear to what extent this mirrors patients' and parents' preferences. This study investigated

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cancer diseases and their therapies have negative effects on the quality of life. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of case management in a sample of oncological outpatients with the intent of rehabilitation after cancer treatment. Case management wants to support the complex information needs of the patients in addition to the segmented structure of the health care system. Emphasis is put on support for self-management in order to enhance health - conscious behaviour, learning to deal with the burden of the illness and providing the opportunity for regular contacts with care providers. We present a study protocol to investigate the efficacy of a case management in patients following oncology rehabilitation after cancer treatment. Methods The trial is a multicentre, two-arm randomised controlled study. Patients are randomised parallel in either 'usual care' plus case management or 'usual care' alone. Patients with all types of cancer can be included in the study, if they have completed the therapy with chemo- and/or radiotherapy/surgery with curative intention and are expected to have a survival time >1 year. To determine the health-related quality of life the general questionnaire FACT G is used. The direct correlation between self-management and perceived self-efficacy is measured with the Jerusalem & Schwarzer questionnaire. Patients satisfaction with the care received is measured using the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care 5 As (PACIC-5A. Data are collected at the beginning of the trial and after 3, 6 and 12 months. The power analysis revealed a sample size of 102 patients. The recruitment of the centres began in 2009. The inclusion of patients began in May 2010. Discussion Case management has proved to be effective regarding quality of life of patients with chronic diseases. When it comes to oncology, case management is mainly used in cancer treatment, but it is not yet common in the

Curative therapy for childhood and adolescent cancer translates to 1 in 640 young adults being a survivor of cancer. Although acute hepato-biliary toxicity occurs commonly during pediatric cancer therapy, the impact of antineoplastic therapy on long-term liver health in childhood/adolescent cancer survivors is unknown. This article reviews the medical literature on late liver dysfunction following treatment for childhood/adolescent cancer. We also outline the Children's OncologyGroup (COG) guidelines for screening and follow-up of hepato-biliary sequelae. As the population of survivors grow and age, vigilance for risks to hepatic health needs to continue based on specific exposures during curative cancer therapy.

Progestins have been used in the treatment of recurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma for almost 50 yr. Some endometrial carcinomas respond to hormonal therapy, but the mechanism of action remains incompletely known. We wished to determine the efficacy of progestins to induce a histologic response in endometrioid carcinomas and explore its effects on histologic and immunohistochemical measures of growth and cell death. The Gynecologic OncologyGroup initiated a study of 75 women with endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma, 59 of whom received the progestin, medroxyprogesterone acetate for 21 to 24 d immediately before hysterectomy and had available slides. Initial biopsies and hysterectomies were hematoxylin and eosin-stained and immunostained for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), progesterone receptor-β (PRB), Bcl-2, Ki-67, and cleaved caspase-3 (Casp3). A histologic response was defined subjectively, following which specific histologic measurements and semiquantitative scores of immunohistologic variables of initial biopsies were compared with posttreatment slides. Only 1 complete histologic response was seen, but 37 tumors (63%) had a partial histologic response. Specific histologic changes included the following: a decrease in the nuclear grade, the number of mitotic figures, nucleoli, and mean gland cellularity, and acquisition of more abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, squamous metaplasia, and secretion. The tumors that displayed a subjectively defined histologic response following treatment differed initially from those that did not only with respect to initial nuclear grade and the mitotic index. Statistically significant differences in the specific histologic features in carcinomas of responders versus nonresponders following treatment were found only with respect to acquisition of pale eosinophilic cytoplasm and luminal secretion. More than 90% of tumors were initially ER positive and 76% were PR positive. The initial presence of ER or

wireless sensors to be both secure and usable by exploring different solutions on a fully functional prototype platform. In this paper, we present an Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) based protocol, which offers fully secure sensor set-up in a few seconds on standard (Telos) hardware. We evaluate...

Molecular imaging is the direct or indirect noninvasive monitoring and recording of the spatial and temporal distribution of in vivo molecular, genetic, and/or cellular processes for biochemical, biological, diagnostic, or therapeutic applications. Molecular images that indicate the presence of malignancy can be acquired using optical, ultrasonic, radiologic, radionuclide, and magnetic resonance techniques. For the radiation oncology physicist in particular, these methods and their roles in molecular imaging of oncologic processes are reviewed with respect to their physical bases and imaging characteristics, including signal intensity, spatial scale, and spatial resolution. Relevant molecular terminology is defined as an educational assist. Current and future clinical applications in oncologic diagnosis and treatment are discussed. National initiatives for the development of basic science and clinical molecular imaging techniques and expertise are reviewed, illustrating research opportunities in as well as the importance of this growing field.

Full Text Available A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID grouping-proof protocol is to generate an evidence of the simultaneous existence of a group of tags and it has been applied to many different fields. For current grouping-proof protocols, there still exist some flaws such as low grouping-proof efficiency, being vulnerable to trace attack and information leakage. To improve the secure performance and efficiency, we propose a lightweight RFID grouping-proof protocol based on parallel mode and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol mechanism. Our protocol involves multiple readers and multiple tag groups. During the grouping-proof period, one reader and one tag group are chosen by the verifier by means of DHCP mechanism. When only a part of the tags of the chosen group exist, the protocol can also give the evidence of their co-existence. Our protocol utilizes parallel communication mode between reader and tags so as to ensure its grouping-proof efficiency. It only uses Hash function to complete the mutual authentication among verifier, readers and tags. It can preserve the privacy of the RFID system and resist the attacks such as eavesdropping, replay, trace and impersonation. Therefore the protocol is secure, flexible and efficient. It only uses some lightweight operations such as Hash function and a pseudorandom number generator. Therefore it is very suitable to some low-cost RFID systems.

Full Text Available Problem statement: As group key management extended into the area of large dynamic networks, complex issues emerged involving the many operations that run over several network topologies. The issues that occurred due to multiple topologies were also compounded by differing views of the network, taken at different time slices or positions within the network. This was especially complex when figuring in mobile, ad-hoc networks. View synchrony is the current operational technique, or assumption, applied to group key exchange protocols. However, before this analysis view synchrony was just that, an assumption and the literature for group key exchange lacked an inquiry into what could happen when view synchrony was removed. Current group key management protocols rely on view synchrony and yet all protocols vary in requisite operational descriptions and performance measures. In this study, a framework for group key management protocol operations and performance measures was defined and examined how that framework could be used to compare and contrast existing protocols with and, more importantly, without view synchrony. Approach: Current literature lacked categories by which to quantify the performance metric of the protocols. This study first defined the dynamic key operations that all protocols share. By these definitions, group key management protocols were directly compared. Once definitions existed, this study assembled a list of costs that every protocol requires to establish and share keys across the dynamic group. These results provided an understanding of view synchrony's role and whether or not it should be solely relied on in these current protocols. Results: The prior conclusion that view synchrony was an integral part of all group key management protocols was shattered, when seen through the lens of communication costs and assumptions in wireless ad-hoc networks. View synchrony, as an assumed part of all group key management was

Full Text Available The associations between coping styles, measured by COPE Test, dispositional version (Carver,Scheier and Weintraub, 1989, and Health Status inferred through a performance status, measured by Karnofsky's Index of Behavioral Performance are examined. The study focuses upon 28 oncological in patients. Positive moderate Pearson's correlations were found between these two variables in this correlational-descriptive study. These were interpreted in the following sense: the larger use of the style, the less health status among the scales suppression of competent activities, procrastination of coping, instrumental social support, focusing and releasing of emotions and behavioral disengagement. The active coping scale presented a negative correlationwith regard to Performance Status as a health measure.

Purpose: To analyze the effect of reduced-dose radiotherapy on local control in children with low-risk rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) treated in the Children's OncologyGroup D9602 study. Methods and Materials: Patients with low-risk RMS were nonrandomly assigned to receive radiotherapy doses dependent on the completeness of surgical resection of the primary tumor (clinical group) and the presence of involved regional lymph nodes. After resection, most patients with microscopic residual and uninvolved nodes received 36 Gy, those with involved nodes received 41.4 to 50.4 Gy, and those with orbital primary tumors received 45 Gy. All patients received vincristine and dactinomycin, with cyclophosphamide added for patient subsets with a higher risk of relapse in Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group III and IV studies. Results: Three hundred forty-two patients were eligible for analysis; 172 received radiotherapy as part of their treatment. The cumulative incidence of local/regional failure was 15% in patients with microscopic involved margins when cyclophosphamide was not part of the treatment regimen and 0% when cyclophosphamide was included. The cumulative incidence of local/regional failure was 14% in patients with orbital tumors. Protocol-specified omission of radiotherapy in girls with Group IIA vaginal tumors (n = 5) resulted in three failures for this group. Conclusions: In comparison with Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group III and IV results, reduced-dose radiotherapy does not compromise local control for patients with microscopic tumor after surgical resection or with orbital primary tumors when cyclophosphamide is added to the treatment program. Girls with unresected nonbladder genitourinary tumors require radiotherapy for postsurgical residual tumor for optimal local control to be achieved.

Extranodal lymphomas (ENLs) comprise about a third of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). Radiation therapy (RT) is frequently used as either primary therapy (particularly for indolent ENL), consolidation after systemic therapy, salvage treatment, or palliation. The wide range of presentations of ENL, involving any organ in the body and the spectrum of histological sub-types, poses a challenge both for routine clinical care and for the conduct of prospective and retrospective studies. This has led to uncertainty and lack of consistency in RT approaches between centers and clinicians. Thus far there is a lack of guidelines for the use of RT in the management of ENL. This report presents an effort by the International Lymphoma Radiation OncologyGroup (ILROG) to harmonize and standardize the principles of treatment of ENL, and to address the technical challenges of simulation, volume definition and treatment planning for the most frequently involved organs. Specifically, detailed recommendations for RT volumes are provided. We have applied the same modern principles of involved site radiation therapy as previously developed and published as guidelines for Hodgkin lymphoma and nodal NHL. We have adopted RT volume definitions based on the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU), as has been widely adopted by the field of radiation oncology for solid tumors. Organ-specific recommendations take into account histological subtype, anatomy, the treatment intent, and other treatment modalities that may be have been used before RT.

Purpose: To develop contouring guidelines to be used in the Radiation Therapy OncologyGroupprotocol 0848, a Phase III randomized trial evaluating the benefit of adjuvant chemoradiation in patients with resected head of pancreas cancer. Methods and Materials: A consensus committee of six radiation oncologists with expertise in gastrointestinal radiotherapy developed stepwise contouring guidelines and an atlas for the delineation of the clinical target volume (CTV) in the postoperative treatment of pancreas cancer, based on identifiable regions of interest and margin expansions. Areas at risk for subclinical disease to be included in the CTV were defined, including nodal regions, anastomoses, and the preoperative primary tumor location. Regions of interest that could be reproducibly contoured on postoperative imaging after a pancreaticoduodenectomy were identified. Standardized expansion margins to encompass areas at risk were developed after multiple iterations to determine the optimal margin expansions. Results: New contouring recommendations based on CT anatomy were established. Written guidelines for the delineation of the postoperative CTV and normal tissues, as well as a Web-based atlas, were developed. Conclusions: The postoperative abdomen has been a difficult area for effective radiotherapy. These new guidelines will help physicians create fields that better encompass areas at risk and minimize dose to normal tissues.

Full Text Available Online adaptive radiotherapy for bladder cancer is a novel radiotherapy technique that was found feasible in a pilot study at a single academic institution. In September 2010 this technique was opened as a multicenter study through the Trans-Tasman Radiation OncologyGroup (TROG 10.01 bladder online adaptive radiotherapy treatment. Twelve centers across Australia and New-Zealand registered interest into the trial. A multidisciplinary team of radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists represented the trial credentialing and technical support team. To provide timely activation and proper implementation of the adaptive technique the following key areas were addressed at each site: Staff education/training; Practical image guided radiotherapy assessment; provision of help desk and feedback. The trial credentialing process involved face-to-face training and technical problem solving via full day site visits. A dedicated "help-desk" team was developed to provide support for the clinical trial. 26% of the workload occurred at the credentialing period while the remaining 74% came post-center activation. The workload was made up of the following key areas; protocol clarification (36%, technical problems (46% while staff training was less than 10%. Clinical trial credentialing is important to minimizing trial deviations. It should not only focus on site activation quality assurance but also provide ongoing education and technical support.

Full Text Available Abstract With the popularity of group-oriented applications, secure group communication has recently received much attention from cryptographic researchers. A group key exchange (GKE protocol allows that participants cooperatively establish a group key that is used to encrypt and decrypt transmitted messages. Hence, GKE protocols can be used to provide secure group communication over a public network channel. However, most of the previously proposed GKE protocols deployed in wired networks are not fully suitable for wireless network environments with low-power computing devices. Subsequently, several GKE protocols suitable for mobile or wireless networks have been proposed. In this article, we will propose a more efficient group key exchange protocol with dynamic joining and leaving. Under the decision Diffie-Hellman (DDH, the computation Diffie-Hellman (CDH, and the hash function assumptions, we demonstrate that the proposed protocol is secure against passive attack and provides forward/backward secrecy for dynamic member joining/leaving. As compared with the recently proposed GKE protocols, our protocol provides better performance in terms of computational cost, round number, and communication cost.

Full Text Available Abstract Background The time period from diagnosis to the end of treatment is challenging for newly diagnosed cancer patients. Patients have a substantial need for information, decision aids, and psychosocial support. Recordings of initial oncology consultations improve information recall, reduce anxiety, enhance patient satisfaction with communication, and increase patients' perceptions that the essential aspects of their disease and treatment have been addressed during the consultation. Despite the research evidence supporting the provision of consultation recordings, uptake of this intervention into oncology practice has been slow. The primary aim of this project is to conduct an implementation study to explicate the contextual factors, including use of evidence, that facilitate and impede the transfer and uptake of consultation-recording use in a sample of patients newly diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer. Methods Sixteen oncologists from cancer centres in three Canadian cities will participate in this three-phase study. The preimplementation phase will be used to identify and address those factors that are fundamental to facilitating the smooth adoption and delivery of the intervention during the implementation phase. During the implementation phase, breast and prostate cancer patients will receive a recording of their initial oncology consultation to take home. Patient interviews will be conducted in the days following the consultation to gather feedback on the benefits of the intervention. Patients will complete the Digital Recording Use Semi-Structured Interview (DRUSSI and be invited to participate in focus groups in which their experiences with the consultation recording will be explored. Oncologists will receive a summary letter detailing the benefits voiced by their patients. The postimplementation phase includes a conceptual framework development meeting and a seven-point dissemination strategy. Discussion Consultation

Full Text Available Group key exchange (GKE is one of the basic building blocks in securing group communication. A number of solutions to GKE problem have been proposed, but most of them are not scalable and require a number of rounds linear with the number of group members. We present a method of constructing constant-round and identity-based protocol via secret sharing for GKE within universally composability (UC framework. The resultant protocol focuses on round efficiency and three rounds of communication are required. The protocol allows the batch verification of messages signed by all other group participants. Moreover, compared with other identity-based protocols, the key generation center (KGC in our protocol is not always online.

Full Text Available Abstract Group key exchange (GKE is one of the basic building blocks in securing group communication. A number of solutions to GKE problem have been proposed, but most of them are not scalable and require a number of rounds linear with the number of group members. We present a method of constructing constant-round and identity-based protocol via secret sharing for GKE within universally composability (UC framework. The resultant protocol focuses on round efficiency and three rounds of communication are required. The protocol allows the batch verification of messages signed by all other group participants. Moreover, compared with other identity-based protocols, the key generation center (KGC in our protocol is not always online.

Designing security mechanisms such as privacy and access control for medical sensor networks is a challenging task; as such systems may be operated very frequently, at a quick pace, and at times in emergency situations. Understandably, clinicians hold extra unproductive tasks in low regard......, and experience from user workshops and observations of clinicians at work on a hospital ward show that if the security mechanisms are not well designed, the technology is either rejected altogether, or they are circumvented leaving the system wide open to attacks. Our work targets the problem of designing...... wireless sensors to be both secure and usable by exploring different solutions on a fully functional prototype platform. In this paper, we present an Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) based protocol, which offers fully secure sensor set-up in a few seconds on standard (Telos) hardware. We evaluate...

To determine the response rate and associated toxicity of weekly CPT-11 in squamous carcinoma of the cervix. From October 1994 to May 1996, the Gynecologic OncologyGroup (GOG) conducted a Phase II trial in patients with recurrent squamous cervix carcinoma. The schedule employed weekly x4 intravenous CPT-11 at 125 mg/m2 followed with a 2-week rest, to be repeated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Eligibility criteria were a GOG performance status of 0-2, adequate bone marrow reserve, adequate liver function, and serum creatinine OFFis schedule of CPT-11 exhibits modest activity with moderate toxicity in patients with recurrent squamous carcinoma of the cervix. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. For development of group-oriented distributed applications, a group membership protocol provides the mechanisms to dynamically adapt to changes in the membership, ensuring consistent views among all members of the group. This is achieved, by executing a distributed script, that implements a protocol, at each member to maintain a sequence of identical views, in spite of continuous changes, either voluntary or due to failure, to the mem...

Purpose: A phase 3 trial assessing response-based therapy in intermediate-risk Hodgkin lymphoma mandated real-time central review of involved field radiation therapy (IFRT) and imaging records by a centralized review center to maximize protocol compliance. We report the impact of centralized radiation therapy review on protocol compliance. Methods and Materials: Review of simulation films, port films, and dosimetry records was required before and after treatment. Records were reviewed by study-affiliated or review center–affiliated radiation oncologists. A deviation of 6% to 10% from protocol-specified dose was scored as “minor”; a deviation of >10% was “major.” A volume deviation was scored as “minor” if margins were less than specified or “major” if fields transected disease-bearing areas. Interventional review and final compliance review scores were assigned to each radiation therapy case and compared. Results: Of 1712 patients enrolled, 1173 underwent IFRT at 256 institutions in 7 countries. An interventional review was performed in 88% of patients and a final review in 98%. Overall, minor and major deviations were found in 12% and 6% of patients, respectively. Among the cases for which ≥1 pre-IFRT modification was requested by the Quality Assurance Review Center and subsequently made by the treating institution, 100% were made compliant on final review. By contrast, among the cases for which ≥1 modification was requested but not made by the treating institution, 10% were deemed compliant on final review. Conclusions: In a large trial with complex treatment pathways and heterogeneous radiation therapy fields, central review was performed in a large percentage of cases before IFRT and identified frequent potential deviations in a timely manner. When suggested modifications were performed by the institutions, deviations were almost eliminated.

Full Text Available Aims: To analyze the impact of two cancer support groups in the treatment and abandonment of childhood cancer. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective review of children with cancer funded and non-funded who were treated at Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital from 2010 to 2013. A total of 100 patients were funded, 57 by Ray of Light Foundation and 43 by Pediatric Lymphoma Project and 70 non-funded. Results: The total current survival of 80%, including those who have completed treatment and those currently undergoing treatment, is comparable in both the groups. Abandonment of treatment after initiating therapy was not seen in the financially supported group whereas abandonment of treatment after initiation was seen in one child in the non-funded group. Conclusions: Besides intensive treatment with good supportive care, financial support also has an important impact on compliance and abandonment in all socioeconomic strata of society. Financial support from private cancer support groups also has its impact beyond the patient and family, in reducing the burden on government institutions by non-governmental funding in private sector. Improvement in the delivery of pediatric oncology care in developing countries could be done by financial support from the private sector.

Motorcycle races' long duration justify the study of forearm muscles fatigue, especially knowing the frequently associated forearm discomfort pathology. Moreover, while continuous fatigue protocols yield unequivocal results, EMG outcomes from an intermittent protocol are quite controversial. This study examined the forearm muscle fatigue patterns produced during these two protocols, comparing riders with a control group, and relating maximal voluntary contraction with EMG parameters (amplitude - NRMS and median frequency - NMF) of both protocols to the forearm discomfort among motorcycle riders. Twenty riders and 39 controls performed in separate days both protocols simulating the braking gesture and posture of a rider. EMG of flexor digitorum superficialis (FS) and carpi radialis (CR) were monitored. CR revealed more differences among protocols and groups compared to FS. The greater CR activation in riders could be interpreted as a neuromotor strategy to improve braking precision. When FS fatigue increased, the control group progressively shift toward a bigger CR activation, adopting an intermuscular activation pattern closer to riders. Despite the absence of NMF decrement throughout the intermittent protocol, which suggest that we should have shorten the recovery times from the actual 1 min, the superior number of rounds performed by the riders proved that this protocol discriminates better riders against controls and is more related to forearm discomfort.

Purpose Important considerations for exercise trials in cancer patients are contamination and differential drop-out among the control group members that might jeopardize the internal validity. This systematic review provides an overview of different control groups design characteristics of

The focus groups (FG) are a “carefully planned series of discussions designed to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive, non-threatening environment” (Krueger and Casey, 2000). The aim of the FG is to raise a discussion among the participants that makes the research to see...... a certain phenomenon from the participants’ perspective. In Periscope the Focus Group Methodology (FGM) will be used as a supplement to the quantitative methods in order to obtaining background information on health behavior in the institutions as well as in the family. In addition it will be used...

Cancer treatment is a major burden for the patient and its family that requires an individualized management by healthcare professionals. Nurses are in charge of coordinating care and are the closest healthcare professionals to patient and family; however, in Spain, there are not standard protocols yet for the management of oncology patients. The Spanish Oncology Nursing Society developed between 2012 and 2014 the SHARE project, with the aim of establishing strategies to improve quality of life and nursing care in oncology patients. It was developed in 3 phases. First, a literature search and review was performed to identify nursing strategies, interventions and tools to improve cancer patients' care. At the second stage, these interventions were agreed within a group of oncology nursing experts; and at the third phase, a different group of experts in oncology care categorized the interventions to identify the ones with highest priority and most feasible to be implemented. As a result, 3 strategic actions were identified to improve nursing care during cancer treatment: To provide a named nurse to carry out the follow up process by attending to the clinic or telephonic consultation, develop therapeutic education with adapted protocols for each tumor type and treatment and ensure specific training for nurses on the management of the cancer patients. Strategic actions proposed in this paper aim to improve cancer patients' healthcare and quality of life through the development of advanced nursing roles based on a higher level of autonomy, situating nurses as care coordinators to assure an holistic care in oncology patients.

Purpose The Children's OncologyGroup (COG) strongly supports the widely recognized principle that research participants should be offered a summary of study results. The mechanism by which to do so in a cooperative research group setting has not been previously described. Methods On the basis of a review of the available empirical and theoretic literature and on iterative, multidisciplinary discussion, a COG Return of Results Task Force (RRTF) offered detailed recommendations for the return of results to research study participants. Results The RRTF established guidelines for the notification of research participants and/or their parents/guardians about the availability of research results, a mechanism for and timing of sharing results via registration on the COG public Web site, the scope of the research to be shared, the target audience, and a process for creating and vetting lay summaries of study results. The RRTF recognized the challenges in adequately conveying complex scientific results to audiences with varying levels of health literacy and recommended that particularly sensitive or complex results be returned using direct personal contact. The RRTF also recommended evaluation of the cost, effectiveness, and impact of sharing results. Conclusion These recommendations provide a framework for the offering and returning of results to participants. They can be used by individual investigators, multi-investigator research collaboratives, and large cooperative groups. PMID:23109703

Background. We analyzed the records of patients with malignant salivary gland tumors, as diagnosed in centers of the Dutch Head and Neck Oncology Cooperative Group, in search of independent prognostic factors for locoregional control, distant metastases, and overall survival. Methods. In 565 patient

Purpose Important considerations for exercise trials in cancer patients are contamination and differential drop-out among the control group members that might jeopardize the internal validity. This systematic review provides an overview of different control groups design characteristics of exercise-

Full Text Available In peer-to-peer (P2P overlay networks, a group of n (≥2 peer processes have to cooperate with each other. Each peer sends messages to every peer and receives messages from every peer in a group. In group communications, each message sent by a peer is required to be causally delivered to every peer. Most of the protocols designed to ensure causal message order are designed for networks with a plain architecture. These protocols can be adapted to use in free scale and hierarchical topologies; however, the amount of control information is O(n, where n is the number of peers in the system. Some protocols are designed for a free scale or hierarchical networks, but in general they force the whole system to accomplish the same order viewed by a super peer. In this paper, we present a protocol that is specifically designed to work with a free scale peer-to-peer network. By using the information about the network’s architecture and by representing message dependencies on a bit level, the proposed protocol ensures causal message ordering without enforcing super peers order. The designed protocol is simulated and compared with the Immediate Dependency Relation and the Dependency Sequences protocols to show its lower overhead.

Full Text Available Family is the main care source for the dependent person. The act of looking after somebody, involves the development of multiple tasks, apart from spending a lot of time. This implies a series of requirements that would be able to damage the family caregivers’ quality of life, and definitively, their health. Objetive: training for family caregivers to provide quality care, in order to succeed in this project, we establish three specific aims: improving the information and training, increase self-care abilities and focus on resources and support services for informal caregivers. Methods: We are going to implement an educative intervention in a group of 12 informal caregivers of people over 65 years, dependent on chronic diseases and develop home care. The program will be composed of 10 sessions, each one of two-hour-long. The first session will consist of an introduction and the last session will be reserved to solve doubts and to deal with the assessment of the program. Throughout the rest of sessions, contents about training, self, resources and assistance services for caregivers will be proposed. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the program, a multiple choice questionnaire will be taken both al the beginning and at the end of the different sessions. In order to evaluate the human resources and the applied methodology, another questionnaire will be passed.

Full Text Available The existence of malicious participants is a major threat for authenticated group key exchange (AGKE protocols. Typically, there are two detecting ways (passive and active to resist malicious participants in AGKE protocols. In 2012, the revocable identity- (ID- based public key system (R-IDPKS was proposed to solve the revocation problem in the ID-based public key system (IDPKS. Afterwards, based on the R-IDPKS, Wu et al. proposed a revocable ID-based AGKE (RID-AGKE protocol, which adopted a passive detecting way to resist malicious participants. However, it needs three rounds and cannot identify malicious participants. In this paper, we fuse a noninteractive confirmed computation technique to propose the first two-round RID-AGKE protocol with identifying malicious participants, which is an active detecting way. We demonstrate that our protocol is a provably secure AGKE protocol with forward secrecy and can identify malicious participants. When compared with the recently proposed ID/RID-AGKE protocols, our protocol possesses better performance and more robust security properties.

Purpose To assist in determining barriers to an oncology career incorporating cancer prevention, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Cancer Prevention Workforce Pipeline Work Group sponsored surveys of training program directors and oncology fellows. Methods Separate surveys with parallel questions were administered to training program directors at their fall 2013 retreat and to oncology fellows as part of their February 2014 in-training examination survey. Forty-seven (67%) of 70 training directors and 1,306 (80%) of 1,634 oncology fellows taking the in-training examination survey answered questions. Results Training directors estimated that ≤ 10% of fellows starting an academic career or entering private practice would have a career focus in cancer prevention. Only 15% of fellows indicated they would likely be interested in cancer prevention as a career focus, although only 12% thought prevention was unimportant relative to treatment. Top fellow-listed barriers to an academic career were difficulty in obtaining funding and lower compensation. Additional barriers to an academic career with a prevention focus included unclear career model, lack of clinical mentors, lack of clinical training opportunities, and concerns about reimbursement. Conclusion Reluctance to incorporate cancer prevention into an oncology career seems to stem from lack of mentors and exposure during training, unclear career path, and uncertainty regarding reimbursement. Suggested approaches to begin to remedy this problem include: 1) more ASCO-led and other prevention educational resources for fellows, training directors, and practicing oncologists; 2) an increase in funded training and clinical research opportunities, including reintroduction of the R25T award; 3) an increase in the prevention content of accrediting examinations for clinical oncologists; and 4) interaction with policymakers to broaden the scope and depth of reimbursement for prevention counseling and

Purpose: The association of Ki-67 staining index (Ki67-SI) with overall survival (OS), disease-specific mortality (DSM), distant metastasis (DM), and biochemical failure (BF) was examined in men with favorable- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer receiving radiation therapy (RT) alone or with short-term androgen deprivation (ADT) in Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (RTOG) 94-08. Methods and Materials: 468 patients (23.6%) on RTOG 94-08 had sufficient tissue for Ki67-SI analysis. The median follow-up time was 7.9 years. Ki67-SI was determined by immunohistochemistry and quantified manually and by image analysis. Correlative analysis versus clinical outcome was performed using the third quartile (≥Q3) cutpoint. A proportional hazards multivariable analysis (MVA) dichotomized covariates in accordance with trial stratification and randomization criteria. Results: In MVAs adjusted for all treatment covariates, high Ki67-SI (≥Q3) was correlated with increased DSM (hazard ratio [HR] 2.48, P=.03), DM (HR 3.5, P=.002), and BF (HR 3.55, Pprotocol BF in primarily intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with RT with or without ADT on RTOG 94-08 but does not predict for local recurrence or for increased relative benefit from ADT. This and prior studies lend support for the use of Ki67-SI as a stratification factor in future trials.

Although traditional recommendations for mononephric childhood cancer survivors are to avoid contact sports in order to protect the remaining kidney, review of available evidence suggests that the majority of renal loss is caused by accidents not involving sports. An interdisciplinary team performed a review of the English literature published from 1999 to 2012 within the PubMed, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and National Guidelines Clearinghouse databases. The level of evidence and proposed recommendations were graded according to an established rubric and GRADE criteria. Our review found that kidney loss is most commonly caused by nonsports activities such as motor vehicle accidents and falls, implying that restrictions on sports-related activity in mononephric pediatric survivors are not well supported. This favors encouraging ordinary sports and related activities without restriction in mononephric childhood cancer survivors because the known benefits of exercise outweigh the exceedingly low risk of renal loss. Accordingly, activity recommendations for mononephric patients have been revised in the most current version of the Children's OncologyGroup Long-term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers. This has important implications for this and similar populations who may now undertake individual and organized sports without undue regard for their mononephric status.

This paper addresses a knowledge gap by presenting an empirical investigation of a group coursework protocol and peer assessment system (GCP&PAS) used in a UK university to support postgraduate marketing students in their assessed group activities. The aim of the research was to examine students' understanding of the GCP&PAS and their…

The authors conducted validity testing of the 5 major reported indices for radiosurgically treated brain metastases- the original Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup's Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA), the Score Index for Radiosurgery in Brain Metastases (SIR), the Basic Score for Brain Metastases (BSBM), the Graded Prognostic Assessment (GPA), and the subclassification of RPA Class II proposed by Yamamoto-in nearly 2500 cases treated with Gamma Knife surgery (GKS), focusing on the preservation of neurological function as well as the traditional endpoint of overall survival. The authors analyzed data from 2445 cases treated with GKS by the first author (T.S.), the primary surgeon. The patient group consisted of 1716 patients treated between January 1998 and March 2008 (the Chiba series) and 729 patients treated between April 2008 and December 2011 (the Tokyo series). The interval from the date of GKS until the date of the patient's death (overall survival) and impaired activities of daily living (qualitative survival) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, while the absolute risk for two adjacent classes of each grading system and both hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model. For overall survival, there were highly statistically significant differences between each two adjacent patient groups characterized by class or score (all p values GPA Scores 3.5-4.0 and 3.0. The SIR showed the best statistical results for predicting preservation of neurological function. Although no other grading systems yielded statistically significant differences in qualitative survival, the BSBM and the modified RPA appeared to be better than the original RPA and GPA. The modified RPA subclassification, proposed by Yamamoto, is well balanced in scoring simplicity with respect to case number distribution and statistical results for overall survival. However, a new or revised grading system is necessary for predicting

Complete remission (CR), 5-year remission duration (RD), and overall 5-year survival rates are 74%, 28% and 25%, respectively, for previously untreated children with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia diagnosed between 1977 and 1981, following induction therapy with vincristine, doxorubicin and prednisone (VAP), consolidation therapy with 6-thioguanine, cytosine arabinoside (TA) and cyclophosphamide/vincristine/cytosine arabinoside/prednisone (COAP), and maintenance therapy of alternating TA and COAP with or without VAP pulses. Approximately 20% are free of their disease for more than 5 years. High white blood cell counts (WBC) at diagnosis and M3 and M6 morphology were associated with lower CR rates, while M5 morphology was associated with higher CR rates. Patients with M1 morphology had shorter remission duration as compared to those with M4 or M5 morphology. Low WBC and age between 2 and 10 years at diagnosis were associated with longer remission durations and survival. Patients with M4 morphology also survived longer. The observed CR rates are comparable to other studies initiated at the same time as this study but survival is less than those reported more recently. Low WBC at diagnosis and M4/M5 morphology may identify relatively favorable prognostic groups.

We compared clinical characteristics and outcomes for dogs with various digital tumors. Medical records and histology specimens of affected dogs from 9 veterinary institutions were reviewed. Risk factors examined included age, weight, sex, tumor site (hindlimb or forelimb), local tumor (T) stage, metastases, tumor type, and treatment modality. The Kaplan-Meier product limit method was used to determine the effect of postulated risk factors on local disease-free interval (LDFI), metastasis-free interval (MFI), and survival time (ST). Outcomes were thought to differ significantly between groups when P dogs were included. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounted for 33 (51.6%) of the tumors. Three dogs presented with or developed multiple digital SCC. Other diagnoses included malignant melanoma (MM) (n = 10; 15.6%), osteosarcoma (OSA) (n = 4; 6.3%), hemangiopericytoma (n = 3; 4.7%), benign soft tissue tumors (n = 5; 7.8%), and malignant soft tissue tumors (n = 9; 14%). Fourteen dogs with malignancies had black hair coats, including 5 of the 10 dogs with MM. Surgery was the most common treatment and, regardless of the procedure, had a positive impact on survival. None of the patient variables assessed, including age, sex, tumor type, site, and stage, had a significant impact on ST. Both LDFI and MFI were negatively affected by higher T stage, but not by type of malignancy. Although metastasis at diagnosis correlated with a shorter LDFI, it did not have a significant impact on ST. On the basis of these findings, early surgical intervention is advised for the treatment of dogs with digital tumors, regardless of tumor type or the presence of metastatic disease.

Purpose: Radiation therapy is important for local control in neuroblastoma. This study reviewed the compliance of plans with the radiation therapy guidelines of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (Europe) Neuroblastoma Group (SIOPEN) High-Risk Trial protocol. Methods and Materials: The SIOPEN trial central electronic database has sections to record diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy planning data. Individual centers may upload data remotely, but not all centers involved in the trial chose to use this system. A quality scoring system was devised based on how well the radiation therapy plan matched the protocol guidelines, to what extent deviations were justified, and whether adverse effects may result. Central review of radiation therapy planning was undertaken retrospectively in 100 patients for whom complete diagnostic and treatment sets were available. Data were reviewed and compared against protocol guidelines by an international team of radiation oncologists and radiologists. For each patient in the sample, the central review team assigned a quality assurance score. Results: It was found that in 48% of patients there was full compliance with protocol requirements. In 29%, there were deviations for justifiable reasons with no likely long-term adverse effects resulting. In 5%, deviations had occurred for justifiable reasons, but that might result in adverse effects. In 1%, there was a deviation with no discernible justification, which would not lead to long-term adverse events. In 17%, unjustified deviations were noted, with a risk of an adverse outcome resulting. Conclusions: Owing to concern over the proportion of patients in whom unjustified deviations were observed, a protocol amendment has been issued. This offers the opportunity for central review of radiation therapy plans before the start of treatment and the treating clinician a chance to modify plans.

Grouping nodes gives better performance to the whole network by diminishing the average network delay and avoiding unnecessary message for warding and additional overhead. Many routing protocols for ad-hoc and sensor network shave been designed but none of them are based on groups. In this paper, we will start defining group-based topologies,and then we will show how some wireless ad hoc sensor networks (WAHSN) routing protocols perform when the nodes are arranged in groups. In our proposal connections between groups are established as a function of the proximity of the nodes and the neighbor's available capacity (based on the node's energy). We describe the architecture proposal, the messages that are needed for the proper operation and its mathematical description. We have also simulated how much time is needed to propagate information between groups. Finally, we will show a comparison with other architectures.

Central venous catheters (CVC), used for the management of children with hemato-oncological disorders, are burdened by a significant incidence of mechanical, infective, or thrombotic complications. These complications favor an increasing risk in prolongation of hospitalization, extra costs of care, and sometimes severe life-threatening events. No guidelines for the management of CVC-related occlusion and CVC-related thrombosis are available for children. To this aim, members of the coagulation defects working group and the supportive therapy working group of the Italian Association of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (AIEOP) reviewed the pediatric and adult literature to propose the first recommendations for the management of CVC-related occlusion and CVC-related thrombosis in children with hemato-oncological disorders.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Totally Implantable Access Ports (TIAP are being extensively used world-wide and can be expected to gain further importance with the introduction of new neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments in oncology. Two different techniques for the implantation can be selected: A direct puncture of a central vein and the utilization of a Seldinger device or the surgical Venae sectio. It is still unclear which technique has the optimal benefit/risk ratio for the patient. Design A single-center, expertise based randomized, controlled superiority trial to compare two different TIAP implantation techniques. 100 patients will be included and randomized pre-operatively. All patients aged 18 years or older scheduled for primary elective implantation of a TIAP under local anesthesia who signed the informed consent will be included. The primary endpoint is the primary success rate of the randomized technique. Control Intervention: Venae Sectio will be employed to insert a TIAP by a surgeon; Experimental intervention: Punction of V. Subclavia will be used to place a TIAP by a radiologist. Duration of study: Approximately 10 months, follow up time: 90 days. Organisation/Responsibility The PORTAS 2 – Trial will be conducted in accordance with the protocol and in compliance with the moral, ethical, and scientific principles governing clinical research as set out in the Declaration of Helsinki (1989 and Good Clinical Practice (GCP. The Center of Clinical Trials at the Department of Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg is responsible for design and conduct of the trial including randomization and documentation of patients' data. Data management and statistical analysis will be performed by the independent Institute for Medical Biometry and Informatics (IMBI, University of Heidelberg. Trial Registration The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00600444.

Multicasting is the enabling technology for group communication. However, network-layer multicasting (e.g., IP multicast) has not been widely adopted more than 10 years of its invention due to the concerns related to deployment, scalability and network management. Application-layer multicast (ALM) has been proposed as an alternative for IP multicast. In ALM, group communications take place on an overlay network in which each edge corresponds to a direct unicast path between two group members. ALM protocols differ in, among other aspects, the topology of the underlying overlay network (e.g., tree, mesh or ring). Ring-based ALM protocols have the advantages of providing a constant node degree, and enabling the implementation of reliable and totally-ordered message delivery through the use of a ring with a token that contains ordering and flow control information. In addition, a ring overlay network topology is inherently reliable to single node failures. In this paper, we provide a survey and a taxonomy of several ring-building group communication protocols. Investigating the major characteristics of ring-building network protocols is an important step towards understanding which of them are suitable for command and control group communications.

Purpose: Early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a rare disease, and the location of lymphoma varies considerably between patients. Here, we evaluate the variability of radiation therapy (RT) plans among 5 International Lymphoma Radiation OncologyGroup (ILROG) centers with regard to beam arrangements, planning parameters, and estimated doses to the critical organs at risk (OARs). Methods: Ten patients with stage I-II classic HL with masses of different sizes and locations were selected. On the basis of the clinical information, 5 ILROG centers were asked to create RT plans to a prescribed dose of 30.6 Gy. A postchemotherapy computed tomography scan with precontoured clinical target volume (CTV) and OARs was provided for each patient. The treatment technique and planning methods were chosen according to each center's best practice in 2013. Results: Seven patients had mediastinal disease, 2 had axillary disease, and 1 had disease in the neck only. The median age at diagnosis was 34 years (range, 21-74 years), and 5 patients were male. Of the resulting 50 treatment plans, 15 were planned with volumetric modulated arc therapy (1-4 arcs), 16 with intensity modulated RT (3-9 fields), and 19 with 3-dimensional conformal RT (2-4 fields). The variations in CTV-to-planning target volume margins (5-15 mm), maximum tolerated dose (31.4-40 Gy), and plan conformity (conformity index 0-3.6) were significant. However, estimated doses to OARs were comparable between centers for each patient. Conclusions: RT planning for HL is challenging because of the heterogeneity in size and location of disease and, additionally, to the variation in choice of treatment techniques and field arrangements. Adopting ILROG guidelines and implementing universal dose objectives could further standardize treatment techniques and contribute to lowering the dose to the surrounding OARs.

The majority of children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with cancer will become long-term survivors. Although cancer therapy is associated with many adverse effects, one of the primary concerns of young male cancer survivors is reproductive health. Future fertility is often the focus of concern; however, it must be recognized that all aspects of male health, including pubertal development, testosterone production, and sexual function, can be impaired by cancer therapy. Although pretreatment strategies to preserve reproductive health have been beneficial to some male patients, many survivors remain at risk for long-term reproductive complications. Understanding risk factors and monitoring the reproductive health of young male survivors are important aspects of follow-up care. The Children's OncologyGroup Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer (COG-LTFU Guidelines) were created by the COG to provide recommendations for follow-up care of survivors at risk for long-term complications. The male health task force of the COG-LTFU Guidelines, composed of pediatric oncologists, endocrinologists, nurse practitioners, a urologist, and a radiation oncologist, is responsible for updating the COG-LTFU Guidelines every 2 years based on literature review and expert consensus. This review summarizes current task force recommendations for the assessment and management of male reproductive complications after treatment for childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancers. Issues related to male health that are being investigated, but currently not included in the COG-LTFU Guidelines, are also discussed. Ongoing investigation will inform future COG-LTFU Guideline recommendations for follow-up care to improve health and quality of life for male survivors.

Annex II of Decision 8/CP.4 from COP4 on "Preparation for the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol" established a joint working group (JWG) on compliance under the SBI and SBSTA.3 Because of the relation between the legal and the

Full Text Available Objective: To compare two protocols for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP against neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS sepsis, with respect to staff compliance, in a prospective cohort study in the obstetric units of a community hospital (A and a university teaching hospital (B.

In this work, two real-time PCR protocols based on intercalating dye and two on hydrolysis probes were tested using field collected fruit tree samples infected by 16SrX group (AP, PD and ESFY) phytoplasmas. Specificity and sensitivity of protocols and amplification efficiency were the main testing parameters. Results of real-time PCR protocols were compared to nested PCR. All real-time PCR protocols confirmed their specificity of detection. All real-time PC...

Full Text Available Problem statement: In a heterogeneous environment, for a secure multicast
communication, the group members have to share a secret key which is used to encrypt/decrypt the
secret messages among the members. The Secure Group Communication of large scale multicast group
in a dynamic environment is more complex than securing one-to-one communication due to the
inherent scalability issue of group key management. Since the group members are dynamic in nature
such as joining or leaving the group, the key updating is performed among the valid members without
interrupting the multicast session so that non group members cant have access to the future renewed
keys. Approach: The main aim is to develop a scheme which can reduce the cost of computational
overhead, number of messages needed during the time of key refreshing and the number of keys stored
in servers and members. The cost of establishing the key and renewal is proportionate to the size of the
group and subsequently fetches a bottleneck performance in achieving scalability. By using a Cluster
Based Hierarchical Key Distribution Protocol, the load of key management can be shared among
dummy nodes of a cluster without revealing the group messages to them. Results: Especially, the
existing model incurs a very less computational and communication overhead during renewal of keys.
The proposed scheme yields better scalability because of the fact that the Key computational cost, the
keys stored in key server and numbers of rekey-messages needed are very less. Conclusion: Our
proposed protocol is based on Elliptic curve cryptography algorithm to form secure group key, even
with smaller key size, it is capable of providing more security. This protocol can be used both in wired
or wireless environments.

Full Text Available Abstract Background A significant number of smokers would like to stop smoking. Despite the demonstrated efficacy of pharmacological smoking cessation treatments, many smokers are unwilling to use them; however, they are inclined to try alternative methods. Hypnosis has a long-standing reputation in smoking cessation therapy, but its efficacy has not been scientifically proven. We designed this randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effects of group hypnosis as a method for smoking cessation, and we will compare the results of group hypnosis with group relaxation. Methods/Design This is a randomised controlled trial (RCT to compare the efficacy of a single session of hypnosis with that of relaxation performed in groups of 8-15 smokers. We intend to include at least 220 participants in our trial. The inclusion criteria include smoking at least 5 cigarettes per day, not using other cessation methods and being willing to quit smoking. The intervention is performed by a trained hypnotist/relaxation therapist. Both groups first receive 40 min of mental preparation that is based on motivational interviewing. Then, a state of deep relaxation is induced in the hypnosis condition, and superficial relaxation is induced in the control condition. Suggestions are made in the hypnosis condition that aim to switch the mental self-image of the participants from that of smokers to that of non-smokers. Each intervention lasts for 40 min. The participants also complete questionnaires that assess their smoking status and symptoms of depression and anxiety at baseline, 2 weeks and 6 months post-intervention. In addition, saliva samples are collected to assess cotinine levels at baseline and at 6 months post-intervention. We also assess nicotine withdrawal symptoms at 2 weeks post-intervention. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, this RCT is the first to test the efficacy of group hypnosis versus group relaxation. Issues requiring discussion in the outcome

use of ISRT has not yet been validated in a formal study, it is more conservative than INRT, accounting for suboptimal information and appropriately designed for safe local disease control. The goal of modern smaller field radiation therapy is to reduce both treatment volume and treatment dose while maintaining efficacy and minimizing acute and late sequelae. This review is a consensus of the International Lymphoma Radiation OncologyGroup (ILROG) Steering Committee regarding the modern approach to RT in the treatment of HL, outlining a new concept of ISRT in which reduced treatment volumes are planned for the effective control of involved sites of HL. Nodal and extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) are covered separately by ILROG guidelines.

Purpose: To retrospectively determine the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT) in identifying the presence or absence of preoperative Wilms tumor rupture. Materials and Methods: The cohort was derived from the AREN03B2 study of the Children’s OncologyGroup. The study was approved by the institutional review board and was compliant with HIPAA. Written informed consent was obtained before enrollment. The diagnosis of Wilms tumor rupture was established by central review of notes from surgery and/or pathologic examination. Seventy Wilms tumor cases with rupture were matched to 70 Wilms tumor controls without rupture according to age and tumor weight (within 6 months and 50 g, respectively). CT scans were independently reviewed by two radiologists, and the following CT findings were assessed: poorly circumscribed mass, perinephric fat stranding, peritumoral fat planes obscured, retroperitoneal fluid (subcapsular vs extracapsular), ascites beyond the cul-de-sac, peritoneal implants, ipsilateral pleural effusion, and intratumoral hemorrhage. All fluids were classified as hemorrhagic or nonhemorrhagic by using a cutoff of 30 HU. The relationship between CT findings and rupture was assessed with logistic regression models. Results: The sensitivity and specificity for detecting Wilms tumor rupture were 54% (36 of 67 cases) and 88% (61 of 69 cases), respectively, for reviewer 1 and 70% (47 of 67 cases) and 88% (61 of 69 cases), respectively, for reviewer 2. Interobserver agreement was substantial (ĸ = 0.76). All imaging signs tested, except peritoneal implants, intratumoral hemorrhage, and subcapsular fluid, showed a significant association with rupture (P ≤ .02). The attenuation of ascitic fluid did not have a significant correlation with rupture (P = .9990). Ascites beyond the cul-de-sac was the single best indicator of rupture for both reviewers, followed by perinephric fat stranding and retroperitoneal fluid for reviewers 1 and 2, respectively (P cul

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report on the development of a standardized target and organ-at-risk naming convention for use in radiation therapy and to present the nomenclature for structure naming for interinstitutional data sharing, clinical trial repositories, integrated multi-institutional collaborative databases, and quality control centers. This taxonomy should also enable improved plan benchmarking between clinical institutions and vendors and facilitation of automated treatment plan quality control. Materials and Methods: The Advanced Technology Consortium, Washington University in St. Louis, Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup, Dutch Radiation Oncology Society, and the Clinical Trials RT QA Harmonization Group collaborated in creating this new naming convention. The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements guidelines have been used to create standardized nomenclature for target volumes (clinical target volume, internal target volume, planning target volume, etc.), organs at risk, and planning organ-at-risk volumes in radiation therapy. The nomenclature also includes rules for specifying laterality and margins for various structures. The naming rules distinguish tumor and nodal planning target volumes, with correspondence to their respective tumor/nodal clinical target volumes. It also provides rules for basic structure naming, as well as an option for more detailed names. Names of nonstandard structures used mainly for plan optimization or evaluation (rings, islands of dose avoidance, islands where additional dose is needed [dose painting]) are identified separately. Results: In addition to its use in 16 ongoing Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup advanced technology clinical trial protocols and several new European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer protocols, a pilot version of this naming convention has been evaluated using patient data sets with varying treatment sites. All structures in these data sets were

Oncology research has traditionally been conducted using techniques from the biological sciences. The new field of computational oncology has forged a new relationship between the physical sciences and oncology to further advance research. By applying physics and mathematics to oncologic problems, new insights will emerge into the pathogenesis and treatment of malignancies. One major area of investigation in computational oncology centers around the acquisition and analysis of data, using improved computing hardware and software. Large databases of cellular pathways are being analyzed to understand the interrelationship among complex biological processes. Computer-aided detection is being applied to the analysis of routine imaging data including mammography and chest imaging to improve the accuracy and detection rate for population screening. The second major area of investigation uses computers to construct sophisticated mathematical models of individual cancer cells as well as larger systems using partial differential equations. These models are further refined with clinically available information to more accurately reflect living systems. One of the major obstacles in the partnership between physical scientists and the oncology community is communications. Standard ways to convey information must be developed. Future progress in computational oncology will depend on close collaboration between clinicians and investigators to further the understanding of cancer using these new approaches.

Although two-party password-authenticated key exchange (PAKE) protocols have been intensively studied in recent years, group PAKE protocols have received little attention. In this paper, we propose a tree-based group PAKE protocol -- nPAKE+ protocol under the setting where each party shares an independent password with a trusted server. The nPAKE+ protocol is a novel combination of the hierarchical key tree structure and the password-based Diffie-Hellman exchange, and hence it achieves substantial gain in computation efficiency. In particular, the computation cost for each client in our protocol is only O(log n). Additionally, the hierarchical feature of nPAKE+ enables every subgroup to obtain its own subgroup key in the end. We also prove the security of our protocol under the random oracle model and the ideal cipher model.

Background and purpose The Scandinavian Sarcoma Group (SSG) XIV protocol is based on experience from previous SSG trials and other osteosarcoma intergroup trials, and has been considered the best standard of care for patients with extremity localized, non-metastatic osteosarcoma. We analyzed the outcome in 63 consecutive patients. Patients and methods From 2001 through 2005, 63 patients recruited from centers in Sweden, Norway, and Finland were included. They received preoperative chemotherap...

.... In this article, we review the current field of geriatric oncology. We highlight that age is not a contradiction to cancer treatment but geriatric assessment is needed to identify which treatment a patient may tolerate and benefit from.

Oncologic specialty societies and multidisciplinary collaborative groups have dedicated considerable effort to developing evidence-based quality indicators (QIs) to facilitate quality improvement, accreditation, benchmarking, reimbursement, maintenance of certification, and regulatory reporting. In particular, the field of radiation oncology has a long history of organized quality assessment efforts and continues to work toward developing consensus quality standards in the face of continually evolving technologies and standards of care. This report provides a comprehensive review of the current state of quality assessment in radiation oncology. Specifically, this report highlights implications of the healthcare quality movement for radiation oncology and reviews existing efforts to define and measure quality in the field, with focus on dimensions of quality specific to radiation oncology within the “big picture” of oncologic quality assessment efforts.

Full Text Available Mobile ad-hoc network is a collection of wireless mobile hosts forming a temporary network without the aid of any stand-alone infrastructure or centralized administration. Mobile ad-hoc network have the attributes such as wireless connection, continuously changing topology, distributed operation and ease of deployment. In this paper we have compared the performance of two reactive MANET routing protocol AODV and DSR by using Group mobility model. Both share similar On-Demand behavior, but the protocol's internal mechanism leads to significant performance difference. We have analyzed the performance of protocols by varying network load, mobility and type of traffic (CBR and TCP. Group Mobility model has been generated by IMPORTANT (Impact of Mobility Patterns on Routing in Ad-hoc NeTwork tool. A detailed simulation has been carried out in NS2. The metrics used for performance analysis are Packet Delivery Fraction, Average end-to-end Delay, Routing Overhead and Normalized Routing Load. It has been observed that AODV gives better performance in CBR traffic and real time delivery of packet. Where as DSR gives better results in TCP traffic and under restricted bandwidth condition.

The developments of biosynthetic specific labeling strategies for side-chain methyl groups have allowed structural and dynamic characterization of very large proteins and protein complexes. However, the assignment of the methyl-group resonances remains an Achilles' heel for NMR, as the experiments designed to correlate side chains to the protein backbone become rather insensitive with the increase of the transverse relaxation rates. In this chapter, we outline a semiempirical approach to assign the resonances of methyl-group side chains in large proteins. This method requires a crystal structure or an NMR ensemble of conformers as an input, together with NMR data sets such as nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) and paramagnetic relaxation enhancements (PREs), to be implemented in a computational protocol that provides a probabilistic assignment of methyl-group resonances. As an example, we report the protocol used in our laboratory to assign the side chains of the 42-kDa catalytic subunit of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A. Although we emphasize the labeling of isoleucine, leucine, and valine residues, this method is applicable to other methyl group side chains such as those of alanine, methionine, and threonine, as well as reductively methylated cysteine side chains.

Nanomedicine is an interdisciplinary field that combines medicine, engineering, chemistry, biology and material sciences to improve disease management and can be especially valuable in oncology. Nanoparticle-based agents that possess functions such as tumor targeting, imaging and therapy are currently under intensive investigation. This review introduces the basic concept of nanomedicine and the classification of nanoparticles. Because of their favorable pharmacokinetics, tumor targeting properties, and resulting superior efficacy and toxicity profiles, nanoparticle-based agents can overcome several limitations associated with conventional diagnostic and therapeutic protocols in veterinary oncology. The two most important tumor targeting mechanisms (passive and active tumor targeting) and their dominating factors (i.e. shape, charge, size and nanoparticle surface display) are discussed. The review summarizes published clinical and preclinical studies that utilize different nanoformulations in veterinary oncology, as well as the application of nanoparticles for cancer diagnosis and imaging. The toxicology of various nanoformulations is also considered. Given the benefits of nanoformulations demonstrated in human medicine, nanoformulated drugs are likely to gain more traction in veterinary oncology.

Secret-sharing is a common method to protect important data, such as the private key of a public-key system. Dynamic Group Secret-sharing (DGS) is a system where all of the members in a group hold a subsecret of the key information and where the number of members in the group is variable. This kind of secret-sharing is broadly used in many special distribution systems, such as Self-secure Ad-hoc Network. Distributing this subsecret to a new member when he enters the group is the common method that ensures all the members participate in the same secret-sharing. However, no' atisfactory subsecret distribution scheme exists at present. This paper proposes a new protocol that tries to satisfy both security and efficiency.

Children with malignant bone tumors have average 5-year survival rates of 60% to 70% with current multimodality therapy. Local control modalities aimed at preserving function greatly influence the quality of life of long-term survivors. In developing countries, the limited availability of multidisciplinary care and limited expertise in specialized surgery and pediatric radiation therapy, as well as financial cost, all form barriers to achieving optimal outcomes in this population. We describe the establishment of a collaborative pediatric bone tumor program among a group of pediatric oncologists in Lebanon and Syria. This program provides access to specialized local control at a tertiary children's cancer center to pediatric patients with newly diagnosed bone tumors at participating sites. Central review of pathology, staging, and treatment planning is performed in a multidisciplinary tumor board setting. Patients receive chemotherapy at their respective centers on a unified treatment plan. Surgery and/or radiation therapy are performed centrally by specialized staff at the children's cancer center. Cost barriers were resolved through a program development initiative led by St Jude Children's Research Hospital. Once program feasibility was achieved, the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon Foundation, via fundraising efforts, provided continuation of program-directed funding. Findings over a 3-year period showed the feasibility of this project, with timely local control and protocol adherence at eight collaborating centers. We report success in providing standard-of-care multidisciplinary therapy to this patient population with complex needs and financially challenging surgical procedures. This initiative can serve as a model, noting that facilitating access to specialized multidisciplinary care, resolution of financial barriers, and close administrative coordination all greatly contributed to the success of the program.

Full Text Available Public Key Cryptosystems assure privacy as well as integrity of the transactions between two parties. The sizes of the keys play an important role. The larger the key the harder is to crack a block ofencrypted data. We propose a new public key cryptosystem and a Key Exchange Protocol based on the generalization of discrete logarithm problem using Non-abelian group of block upper triangular matrices of higher order. The proposed cryptosystem is efficient in producing keys of large sizes without the need of large primes. The security of both the systems relies on the difficulty of discrete logarithms over finite fields.

Based on its potential role in adult myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), the Children's OncologyGroup (COG) embarked on a phase II study using amifostine in pediatric MDS (WHO 2001 criteria) patients. Responses were evaluated after two cycles. Ten patients were enrolled; five were deemed ineligible, and four withdrew after the first course. Only one patient completed two courses, and was found to be in complete remission. The study was closed after being open for 2 years due to slow accrual. Studying a rare disease like MDS may pose insurmountable obstacles even in a large clinical trials group such as COG, in part because of the changing definitions of MDS and the rarity of adult type MDS in children. The role of amifostine in pediatric MDS was not known at the time of study.

Purpose: The Korean Radiation OncologyGroup (KROG) 08-06 study protocol allowed radiation therapy (RT) technique to include or exclude breast cancer patients from receiving radiation therapy to the internal mammary lymph node (IMN). The purpose of this study was to assess dosimetric differences between the 2 groups and potential influence on clinical outcome by a dummy run procedure. Methods and Materials: All participating institutions were asked to produce RT plans without irradiation (Arm 1) and with irradiation to the IMN (Arm 2) for 1 breast-conservation treatment case (breast-conserving surgery [BCS]) and 1 mastectomy case (modified radical mastectomy [MRM]) whose computed tomography images were provided. We assessed interinstitutional variations in IMN delineation and evaluated the dose-volume histograms of the IMN and normal organs. A reference IMN was delineated by an expert panel group based on the study guidelines. Also, we analyzed the potential influence of actual dose variation observed in this study on patient survival. Results: Although physicians intended to exclude the IMN within the RT field, the data showed almost 59.0% of the prescribed dose was delivered to the IMN in Arm 1. However, the mean doses covering the IMN in Arm 1 and Arm 2 were significantly different for both cases (Pgroup, the dose differences between the 2 groups were statistically significant. However, this dosimetric profile should be studied further with actual patient samples and be taken into consideration when analyzing clinical outcomes according to IMN

At the 6th International Workshop on Genotoxicity Testing (IWGT), the liver micronucleus test working group discussed practical aspects of the in vivo rodent liver micronucleus test (LMNT). The group members focused on the three methodologies currently used, i.e., a partial hepatectomy (PH) method, a juvenile/young rat (JR) method, and a repeated-dose (RD) method in adult rodents. Since the liver is the main organ that metabolizes chemicals, the LMNT is expected to detect clastogens, especially those that need metabolic activation in the liver, and aneugens. Based on current data the three methods seem to have a high sensitivity and specificity, but more data, especially on non-genotoxic but toxic substances, would be needed to fully evaluate the test performance. The three methods can be combined with the micronucleus test (MNT) using bone marrow (BM) and/or peripheral blood (PB). The ability of the PH method to detect both clastogens and aneugens has already been established, but the methodology is technically challenging. The JR method is relatively straightforward, but animal metabolism might not be fully comparable to adult animals, and data on aneugens are limited. These two methods also have the advantage of a short testing period. The RD method is also straightforward and can be integrated into repeated-dose (e.g. 2 or 4 weeks) toxicity studies, but again data on aneugens are limited. The working group concluded that the LMNT could be used as a second in vivo test when a relevant positive result in in vitro mammalian cell genotoxicity tests is noted (especially under the condition of metabolic activation), and a negative result is observed in the in vivo BM/PB-MNT. The group members discussed LMNT protocols and reached consensus about many aspects of test procedures. However, data gaps as mentioned above remain, and further data are needed to fully establish the LMNT protocol.

Radiation therapy (RT) is the most effective single modality for local control of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and is an important component of therapy for many patients. Many of the historic concepts of dose and volume have recently been challenged by the advent of modern imaging and RT planning...... tools. The International Lymphoma Radiation OncologyGroup (ILROG) has developed these guidelines after multinational meetings and analysis of available evidence. The guidelines represent an agreed consensus view of the ILROG steering committee on the use of RT in NHL in the modern era. The roles...... of reduced volume and reduced doses are addressed, integrating modern imaging with 3-dimensional planning and advanced techniques of RT delivery. In the modern era, in which combined-modality treatment with systemic therapy is appropriate, the previously applied extended-field and involved-field RT...

Purpose: To investigate pelvic insufficiency fractures (IF) after definitive pelvic radiation therapy for early-stage uterine cervical cancer, by analyzing subjects of a prospective, multi-institutional study. Materials and Methods: Between September 2004 and July 2007, 59 eligible patients were analyzed. The median age was 73 years (range, 37-84 years). The International Federation of Gynecologic Oncology and Obstetrics stages were Ib1 in 35, IIa in 12, and IIb in 12 patients. Patients were treated with the constant method, which consisted of whole-pelvic external-beam radiation therapy of 50 Gy/25 fractions and high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy of 24 Gy/4 fractions without chemotherapy. After radiation therapy the patients were evaluated by both pelvic CT and pelvic MRI at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Diagnosis of IF was made when the patients had both CT and MRI findings, neither recurrent tumor lesions nor traumatic histories. The CT findings of IF were defined as fracture lines or sclerotic linear changes in the bones, and MRI findings of IF were defined as signal intensity changes in the bones, both on T1- and T2-weighted images. Results: The median follow-up was 24 months. The 2-year pelvic IF cumulative occurrence rate was 36.9% (21 patients). Using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0, grade 1, 2, and 3 IF were seen in 12 (21%), 6 (10%), and 3 patients (5%), respectively. Sixteen patients had multiple fractures, so IF were identified at 44 sites. The pelvic IF were frequently seen at the sacroileal joints (32 sites, 72%). Nine patients complained of pain. All patients' pains were palliated by rest or non-narcotic analgesic drugs. Higher age (>70 years) and low body weight (<50 kg) were thought to be risk factors for pelvic IF (P=.007 and P=.013, Cox hazard test). Conclusions: Cervical cancer patients with higher age and low body weight may be at some risk for the development of pelvic IF after pelvic radiation therapy.

Purpose: To give a preliminary report of clinical and treatment factors associated with toxicity in men receiving high-dose radiation therapy (RT) on a phase 3 dose-escalation trial. Methods and Materials: The trial was initiated with 3-dimensional conformal RT (3D-CRT) and amended after 1 year to allow intensity modulated RT (IMRT). Patients treated with 3D-CRT received 55.8 Gy to a planning target volume that included the prostate and seminal vesicles, then 23.4 Gy to prostate only. The IMRT patients were treated to the prostate and proximal seminal vesicles to 79.2 Gy. Common Toxicity Criteria, version 2.0, and Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer late morbidity scores were used for acute and late effects. Results: Of 763 patients randomized to the 79.2-Gy arm of Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup 0126 protocol, 748 were eligible and evaluable: 491 and 257 were treated with 3D-CRT and IMRT, respectively. For both bladder and rectum, the volumes receiving 65, 70, and 75 Gy were significantly lower with IMRT (all P

Full Text Available Unlike CCTV, security video surveillance devices, which we have generally known about, IP cameras which are connected to a network either with or without wire, provide monitoring services through a built-in web-server. Due to the fact that IP cameras can use a network such as the Internet, multiple IP cameras can be installed at a long distance and each IP camera can utilize the function of a web server individually. Even though IP cameras have this kind of advantage, it has difficulties in access control management and weakness in user certification, too. Particularly, because the market of IP cameras did not begin to be realized a long while ago, systems which are systematized from the perspective of security have not been built up yet. Additionally, it contains severe weaknesses in terms of access authority to the IP camera web server, certification of users, and certification of IP cameras which are newly installed within a network, etc. This research grouped IP cameras hierarchically to manage them systematically, and provided access control and data confidentiality between groups by utilizing group keys. In addition, IP cameras and users are certified by using PKI-based certification, and weak points of security such as confidentiality and integrity, etc., are improved by encrypting passwords. Thus, this research presents specific protocols of the entire process and proved through experiments that this method can be actually applied.

The purpose of this research was to firstly develop a protocol for video recording student group oral presentations, for later viewing and self-assessment by student group members. Secondly, evaluations of students' experiences of this process were undertaken to determine if this self-assessment method was a positive experience for them in gaining…

Full Text Available Mary Ann Cantrell1, Kathy Ruble21College of Nursing, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA; 2Department of Pediatric Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAAbstract: This paper describes the significant advances in the treatment of childhood cancer and supportive care that have occurred over the last several decades and details how these advances have led to improved survival and quality of life (QOL for children with cancer through a multidisciplinary approach to care. Advances in the basic sciences, general medicine, cooperative research protocols, and policy guidelines have influenced and guided the multidisciplinary approach in pediatric oncology care across the spectrum from diagnosis through long-term survival. Two case studies are provided to highlight the nature and scope of multidisciplinary care in pediatric oncology care.Keywords: childhood cancer, chemotherapy, leukemia

The Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO) Standards of Care (2001) provides a framework that delineates oncology nursing roles and responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to explore how oncology nurses perceive their roles and responsibilities compared to the CANO Standards of Care. Six focus groups were conducted and 21 registered nurses (RNs) from a community-based hospital participated in this study. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative inductive content analysis. Three themes were identified: (1) Oncology nurses perceive a gap between their defined roles and the reality of daily practice, as cancer care becomes more complex and as they provide advanced oncology care to more patients while there is no parallel adaptation to the health care system to support them, such as safe staffing; (2) Oncology nursing, as a specialty, requires sustained professional development and leadership roles; and (3) Oncology nurses are committed to providing continuous care as a reference point in the health care team by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration andfacilitating patient's navigation through the system. Organizational support through commitment to appropriate staffing and matching scope ofpractice to patient needs may lead to maximize the health and well-being of nurses, quality of patient care and organizational performance.

Obesity increases the risk of death from many adverse health outcomes and has also been linked with cancer outcomes. The impact of obesity on outcomes of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients is unclear. The authors evaluated the association of body mass index (BMI) and outcomes in 2585 eligible patients enrolled in three consecutive first-line trials conducted by the Eastern Cooperative OncologyGroup. BMI was categorized as underweight (BMI obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m). In addition to analyzing overall and progression-free survival, reasons for treatment discontinuation were also assessed by BMI group. Of the patients enrolled, 4.6% were underweight, 44.1% were normal weight, 34.3% of patients were classified as overweight, and 16.9% were obese. Nonproportional hazards existed for obese patients relative to the other three groups of patients, with a change in overall survival hazard occurring at approximately 16 months. In multivariable Cox models, obese patients had superior outcomes earlier on study compared with normal/overweight patients 0.86 (HR=0.86, p=0.04; 95% CI: 0.75-0.99), but later experienced increased hazard (HR=1.54, p< 0.001; 95% CI: 1.22-1.94), indicating a time effect while undergoing treatment. Data from these three trials suggest differential outcomes associated with BMI, and additional studies of the mechanisms underlying this observation, as well as dietary and lifestyle interventions, are warranted to help optimize therapy.

Full Text Available Abstract Background To identify individual differences in physicians' needs for the presentation of evidence resources and preferences for mobile devices. Methods Within-groups analysis of responses to semi-structured interviews. Interviews consisted of using prototypes in response to task-based scenarios. The prototypes were implemented on two different form factors: a tablet style PC and a pocketPC. Participants were from three user groups: general internists, family physicians and medicine residents, and from two different settings: urban and semi-urban. Verbal protocol analysis, which consists of coding utterances, was conducted on the transcripts of the testing sessions. Statistical relationships were investigated between staff physicians' and residents' background variables, self-reported experiences with the interfaces, and verbal code frequencies. Results 47 physicians were recruited from general internal medicine, family practice clinics and a residency training program. The mean age of participants was 42.6 years. Physician specialty had a greater effect on device and information-presentation preferences than gender, age, setting or previous technical experience. Family physicians preferred the screen size of the tablet computer and were less concerned about its portability. Residents liked the screen size of the tablet, but preferred the portability of the pocketPC. Internists liked the portability of the pocketPC, but saw less advantage to the large screen of the tablet computer (F[2,44] = 4.94, p = .012. Conclusion Different types of physicians have different needs and preferences for evidence-based resources and handheld devices. This study shows how user testing can be incorporated into the process of design to inform group-based customization.

Collection of high-quality DNA is essential for molecular epidemiology studies. Methods have been evaluated for optimal DNA collection in studies of adults; however, DNA collection in young children poses additional challenges. Here, we have evaluated predictors of DNA quantity in buccal cells collected for population-based studies of infant leukemia (N = 489 mothers and 392 children) and hepatoblastoma (HB; N = 446 mothers and 412 children) conducted through the Children's OncologyGroup. DNA samples were collected by mail using mouthwash (for mothers and some children) and buccal brush (for children) collection kits and quantified using quantitative real-time PCR. Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify predictors of DNA yield. Median DNA yield was higher for mothers in both studies compared with their children (14 μg vs. mothers or children in this analysis. The association with seasonality suggests that conditions during transport may influence DNA yield. The low yields observed in most children in these studies highlight the importance of developing alternative methods for DNA collection in younger age groups.

Introduction Bath emollients are widely prescribed for childhood eczema, yet evidence of their benefits over direct application of emollients is lacking. Objectives To determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of adding bath emollient to the standard management of eczema in children Methods and analysis Design: Pragmatic open 2-armed parallel group randomised controlled trial. Setting: General practitioner (GP) practices in England and Wales. Participants: Children aged over 12 months and less than 12 years with eczema, excluding inactive or very mild eczema (5 or less on Nottingham Eczema Severity Scale). Interventions: Children will be randomised to either bath emollients plus standard eczema care or standard eczema care only. Outcome measures: Primary outcome is long-term eczema severity, measured by the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) repeated weekly for 16 weeks. Secondary outcomes include: number of eczema exacerbations resulting in healthcare consultations over 1 year; eczema severity over 1 year; disease-specific and generic quality of life; medication use and healthcare resource use; cost-effectiveness. Aiming to detect a mean difference between groups of 2.0 (SD 7.0) in weekly POEM scores over 16 weeks (significance 0.05, power 0.9), allowing for 20% loss to follow-up, gives a total sample size of 423 children. We will use repeated measures analysis of covariance, or a mixed model, to analyse weekly POEM scores. We will control for possible confounders, including baseline eczema severity and child's age. Cost-effectiveness analysis will be carried out from a National Health Service (NHS) perspective. Ethics and dissemination This protocol was approved by Newcastle and North Tyneside 1 NRES committee 14/NE/0098. Follow-up will be completed in 2017. Findings will be disseminated to participants and carers, the public, dermatology and primary care journals, guideline developers and decision-makers. Trial registration number ISRCTN

Purpose: A previous, unblinded study demonstrated that an alcohol-free barrier film containing an acrylate terpolymer (ATP) was effective in reducing skin reactions compared with a 10% glycerine cream (sorbolene). The different appearances of these products precluded a blinded comparison. To test the acrylate terpolymer principle in a double-blinded manner required the use of an alternative cream formulation, a moisturizing durable barrier cream (MDBC); the study was conducted by the Trans Tasman Radiation OncologyGroup (TROG) as protocol 04.01. Methods and Materials: A total of 333 patients were randomized; 1 patient was ineligible and 14 patients withdrew or had less than 7 weeks' observations, leaving 318 for analysis. The chest wall was divided into medial and lateral compartments, and patients were randomized to have MDBC applied daily to the medial or lateral compartment and sorbolene to the other compartment. Weekly observations, photographs, and symptom scores (pain and pruritus) were collected to week 12 or resolution of skin reactions if earlier. Skin dose was confirmed by centrally calibrated thermoluminescent dosimeters. Results: Rates of medial and lateral compartment Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC), version 3, greater than or equal to grade 3 skin reactions were 23% and 41%, but rates by skin care product were identical at 32%. There was no significant difference between MDBC and sorbolene in the primary endpoint of peak skin reactions or secondary endpoints of area-under-the-curve skin reaction scores. Conclusions: The MDBC did not reduce the peak skin reaction compared to sorbolene. It is possible that this is related to the difference in the formulation of the cream compared with the film formulation. Skin dosimetry verification and double blinding are essential for radiation skin care comparative studies.

Bath emollients are widely prescribed for childhood eczema, yet evidence of their benefits over direct application of emollients is lacking. Objectives To determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of adding bath emollient to the standard management of eczema in children Pragmatic open 2-armed parallel group randomised controlled trial. General practitioner (GP) practices in England and Wales. Children aged over 12 months and less than 12 years with eczema, excluding inactive or very mild eczema (5 or less on Nottingham Eczema Severity Scale). Children will be randomised to either bath emollients plus standard eczema care or standard eczema care only. Primary outcome is long-term eczema severity, measured by the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) repeated weekly for 16 weeks. Secondary outcomes include: number of eczema exacerbations resulting in healthcare consultations over 1 year; eczema severity over 1 year; disease-specific and generic quality of life; medication use and healthcare resource use; cost-effectiveness. Aiming to detect a mean difference between groups of 2.0 (SD 7.0) in weekly POEM scores over 16 weeks (significance 0.05, power 0.9), allowing for 20% loss to follow-up, gives a total sample size of 423 children. We will use repeated measures analysis of covariance, or a mixed model, to analyse weekly POEM scores. We will control for possible confounders, including baseline eczema severity and child's age. Cost-effectiveness analysis will be carried out from a National Health Service (NHS) perspective. This protocol was approved by Newcastle and North Tyneside 1 NRES committee 14/NE/0098. Follow-up will be completed in 2017. Findings will be disseminated to participants and carers, the public, dermatology and primary care journals, guideline developers and decision-makers. ISRCTN84102309. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Full Text Available Myanmar is a country in southeast Asia in political, economic and healthcare transition. There are currently only two pediatric oncology centers serving a population of almost 19 million children. An estimated 85-92% of children with cancer are undiagnosed or not receiving treatment. Abandonment of treatment is as high as 60%. Although a number of chemotherapy agents are available, difficulties remain concerning treatment costs, quality control and the availability of supportive care. Radiotherapy services are also limited and not usually included in pediatric protocols. Healthcare professional training, improved diagnostics, strategies to tackle abandonment of treatment and the development of a parents′ support group are major priorities. Local and international partnerships including a recent partnership with world child cancer are essential in the interim to support the development of pediatric oncology and hematology in Myanmar. A unique opportunity exists to support the development of preventive, diagnostic, curative and palliative care for children′s cancer in Myanmar from the outset.

Radiation therapy (RT) is the most effective single modality for local control of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and is an important component of therapy for many patients. Many of the historic concepts of dose and volume have recently been challenged by the advent of modern imaging and RT planning tools. The International Lymphoma Radiation OncologyGroup (ILROG) has developed these guidelines after multinational meetings and analysis of available evidence. The guidelines represent an agreed consensus view of the ILROG steering committee on the use of RT in NHL in the modern era. The roles of reduced volume and reduced doses are addressed, integrating modern imaging with 3-dimensional planning and advanced techniques of RT delivery. In the modern era, in which combined-modality treatment with systemic therapy is appropriate, the previously applied extended-field and involved-field RT techniques that targeted nodal regions have now been replaced by limiting the RT to smaller volumes based solely on detectable nodal involvement at presentation. A new concept, involved-site RT, defines the clinical target volume. For indolent NHL, often treated with RT alone, larger fields should be considered. Newer treatment techniques, including intensity modulated RT, breath holding, image guided RT, and 4-dimensional imaging, should be implemented, and their use is expected to decrease significantly the risk for normal tissue damage while still achieving the primary goal of local tumor control.

It has been suggested that tamoxifen may improve the efficacy of medical castration with luteinising hormone-releasing hormone analogues, but very few data have so far been published concerning the clinical and endocrinological activity of this therapeutic modality. In this phase II multicentre trial conducted by the Italian Trials in Medical Oncologygroup (ITMO), 64 premenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive or unknown breast cancer were treated with monthly s.c. injections of goserelin 3.6 mg, in association with a tamoxifen daily dose of 20 mg, as first-line therapy for their advanced disease. All of the patients were evaluable for efficacy and there was an overall response rate of 41% (95% confidence interval 28-52%), with 7 of the 26 responders achieving complete remission. The median time to response was 4 months (range 2-17), and the median response duration was 13 months (range 6-37 +). Better responses were observed in soft tissues (51%); the response in visceral and bone metastases was respectively 19% and 37%. Serum concentrations of gonadotrophins and oestradiol were significantly decreased by the treatment, oestrogen levels being constantly suppressed to within the range observed in post-menopausal women. No significant change was detected in serum testosterone levels. In our experience, although it was not associated with any increased clinical efficacy, the concurrent use of goserelin and tamoxifen proved to be a feasible approach in the management of premenopausal advanced breast cancer. PMID:7734310

Relapse is a major obstacle in the cure of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The Pediatric OncologyGroup AML Study 9421 tested 2 different strategies to improve event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Patients were randomized to receive standard-dose DAT (daunorubicin, cytarabine, and thioguanine) or high-dose DAT during induction. To interfere with P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-dependent drug efflux, the second randomization tested the benefit of cyclosporine (CsA) added to consolidation chemotherapy. Of the 282 children randomly assigned to receive standard DAT induction, 248 (87.9%) achieved remission compared to 253 (91%) of the 278 receiving high-dose DAT (P = ns). Children with HLA-identical sibling donors who achieved a complete remission received an allogeneic bone marrow transplant as consolidation. For the 83 patients receiving a matched related donor bone marrow transplantation (BMT), the 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) is 67%. Of the 418 children who achieved remission and went on to consolidation with and without CsA, the DFS was 40.6% and 33.9%, respectively (P = .24). Overexpression of P-gp was infrequent (14%) in this pediatric population. In this study, intensifying induction with high-dose DAT and the addition of CsA to consolidation chemotherapy did not prolong the durations of remission or improve overall survival for children with AML. PMID:16254147

Between May 1987 and January 1991, 1354 patients, 1-21 years old, with standard or poor prognosis B-lineage acute lymphocytic leukemia were treated on the Pediatric OncologyGroup Study 8602. One thousand three hundred and twenty-three patients entered remission and 1051 patients were randomized on day 43 to an intensification regimen containing L-asparaginase and intermediate-dose methotrexate (regimen B) or cytarabine and intermediate dose methotrexate (regimen C). After completion of intensification at week 25, all patients received the same maintenance therapy until 3 years from diagnosis. Overall 5-year continuous complete remission (CCR) for regimen B was 72+/-2% (s.e.) and for regimen C, 73+/-2% (P = 0.72 by log-rank analysis). Significant differences between treatments for CCR, testicular, CNS relapses overall or with regard to phenotype (pre-B vs early pre-B), gender, or race were not detected. During intensification, regimen C had significantly more bacterial infections (P = 0.05) and days spent in the hospital (P intensification phase of therapy in children with B-lineage acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Successful therapeutic interventions to prevent disease progression in patients with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma have included surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy. Presurgical chemotherapy has been advocated for these patients because of putative improvement in event-free survival (EFS). The advantages of presurgical chemotherapy include early administration of systemic chemotherapy, shrinkage of primary tumor, and pathologic identification of risk groups. The theoretic disadvantage is that it exposes a large tumor burden to marginally effective chemotherapy. The contribution of chemotherapy and surgery timing has not been tested rigorously. Between 1986 and 1993, we conducted a prospective trial in patients with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma who were assigned randomly to immediate surgery or presurgical chemotherapy. Except for the timing of surgery (week 0 or 10), patients received 44 weeks of identical combination chemotherapy that included high-dose methotrexate with leucovorin rescue, doxorubicin, cisplatin, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, and dactinomycin. One hundred six patients were enrolled onto this study. Six were excluded from analysis. Of the remaining 100 patients, 45 were randomly assigned to immediate chemotherapy, and 55 were randomly assigned to immediate surgery. Sixty-seven patients remain disease-free. At 5 years, the projected EFS +/- SE is 65% +/- 6% (69% +/- 8% for immediate surgery and 61% +/- 8% for presurgical chemotherapy; P =.8). The treatment arms had similar incidence of limb salvage (55% for immediate surgery and 50% for presurgical chemotherapy). Chemotherapy was effective in both treatment groups. There was no advantage in EFS for patients given presurgical chemotherapy.

Lung cancer is the most common malignant disease in the United States. Only the few tumors detected very early are curable, but there has been some progress in the management of more advanced non-small cell lung cancer, particularly in regionally inoperable disease. Prevention of central nervous system relapse is an important issue in this group of patients because brain metastases ultimately develop in 20% to 25% of them. Seventy-three patients with regionally advanced non-small cell lung cancer were entered into a Phase II trial of neutron chest radiotherapy sandwiched between four cycles of chemotherapy including cisplatin, vinblastine, and mitomycin C. Prophylactic cranial irradiation was administered concurrently with chest radiotherapy (3000 cGy in 10 fractions in 15 patients; 3600 cGy in 18 fractions in the remaining 50 patients). Patients underwent computed tomographic scan of the brain before treatment and every 3 months after treatment. The initial overall response rate was 79%, but 65 of the 73 patients have subsequently died of recurrent disease. Median follow-up is 9 months for all 73 patients and 26 months for eight long-term survivors. No patient who completed the prophylactic cranial irradiation program had clinical or radiologic brain metastases. Toxic reactions to prophylactic cranial irradiation included reversible alopecia in all patients, progressive dementia in one patient, and possible optic neuritis in one patient. Both of these patients received 300 cGy per fraction of irradiation. The use of prophylactic cranial irradiation has been controversial, but its safety and efficacy in this trial supports its application in a group of patients at high risk for central nervous system relapse. Further evaluation of prophylactic cranial irradiation in clinical trials for regionally advanced non-small cell lung cancer is warranted.

Full Text Available Purpose. To associate baseline patient characteristics and relapse across consecutive COG studies. Methods. We analyzed risk factors for LESFT patients in three randomized COG trials. We evaluated age at enrollment, primary site, gender, tumor size, and treatment (as randomized. We estimated event-free survival (EFS, Kaplan-Meier and compared risk across groups (log-rank test. Characteristics were assessed by proportional hazards regression with the characteristic of interest as the only component. Confidence intervals (CI for RR were derived. Factors related to outcome at level 0.05 were included in a multivariate regression model. Results. Between 12/1988 and 8/2005, 1444 patients were enrolled and data current to 2001, 2004, or 2008 were used. Patients were with a median age of 12 years (0–45, 55% male and 88% Caucasian. The 5-year EFS was 68.3% ± 1.3%. In univariate analysis age, treatment, and tumor location were identified for inclusion in the multivariate model, and all remained significant (p 18 years, pelvic tumor, size > 8 cms, and chemotherapy without ifosfamide/etoposide significantly predict worse outcome. AEWS0031 is NCT00006734, INT0091 and INT0054 designed before 1993 (unregistered.

Background Follicular lymphoma is the second most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the United States and Europe. However, most of the prospective randomized studies have very little follow-up compared to the long natural history of the disease. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the long-term survival of our series of patients with follicular lymphoma. Patients and methods A total of 1074 patients with newly diagnosed FL were enrolled. Patients diagnosed were prospectively enrolled from 1980 to 2013. Results Median follow-up was 54.9 months and median overall survival is over 20 years in our series. We analyzed the patients who are still alive beyond 10 years from diagnosis in order to fully assess the prognostic factors that condition this group. Out of 166 patients who are still alive after more than 10 years of follow-up, 118 of them (73%) are free of evident clinical disease. Variables significantly associated with survival at 10 years were stage < II (p <0.03), age < 60 years (p <0.0001), low FLIPI (p <0.002), normal β2 microglobulin (p <0.005), no B symptoms upon diagnosis (p <0.02), Performance Status 0–1 (p <0.03) and treatment with anthracyclines and rituximab (p <0.001), or rituximab (p <0.0001). Conclusions A longer follow-up and a large series demonstrated a substantial population of patients with follicular lymphoma free of disease for more than 10 years. PMID:28493986

Benefits and risks of nutrition support were evaluated in 31 malnourished children with newly diagnosed Wilms' tumor managed according to the third National Wilms' Tumor Study protocol. Patients were classified at diagnosis as being at high nutritional risk (HNR, n = 19) or low nutritional risk (LNR, n = 12). Ten HNR patients were randomized to central parenteral nutrition (CPN) and nine HNR patients were randomized to peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) plus enteral nutrition (EN) for 4 weeks of initial intense treatment and EN (nutritional counseling, oral foods and supplements) thereafter. Thirteen HNR patients (seven CPN, six PPN) completed the protocol. Twelve LNR patients received EN; 11 Stage I malnourished patients were randomized to 10 or 26 weeks of chemotherapy. Dietary, anthropometric, and biochemical data were determined for HNR patients at weeks 0-4, 6, 13, 19, and 26 and for LNR patients at weeks 1, 2, 5, and 26. In HNR patients, adequate parenteral nutrition support reversed protein energy malnutrition (PEM), and prevented chemotherapy and radiotherapy delays due to granulocytopenia. CPN was superior to PPN in reversing PEM: energy intake, weight gain, and retinol binding protein were higher (P less than 0.05). LNR patients lost weight and fat reserves in the first 2 weeks of treatment; depletion persisted at week 5, and 25% had chemotherapy delays. Thereafter, EN reversed PEM in patients with both chemotherapy regimens. These data suggest that CPN is preferable during initial intense treatment for HNR patients, and that, although EN is ineffective in preventing depletion and treatment delays in the first 5 weeks of treatment for LNR patients, it is effective thereafter.

We study several properties of distillation protocols to purify multilevel qubit states (qudits) when applied to a certain family of initial mixed bipartite states. We find that it is possible to use qudits states to increase the stability region obtained with the flow equations to distill qubits. In particular, for qutrits we get the phase diagram of the distillation process with a rich structure of fixed points. We investigate the large-$D$ limit of qudits protocols and find an analytical solution in the continuum limit. The general solution of the distillation recursion relations is presented in an appendix. We stress the notion of weight amplification for distillation protocols as opposed to the quantum amplitude amplification that appears in the Grover algorithm. Likewise, we investigate the relations between quantum distillation and quantum renormalization processes.

Purpose: Defining hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) gross tumor volume (GTV) requires multimodal imaging, acquired in different perfusion phases. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the variability in contouring and to establish guidelines and educational recommendations for reproducible HCC contouring for treatment planning. Methods and Materials: Anonymous, multiphasic planning computed tomography scans obtained from 3 patients with HCC were identified and distributed to a panel of 11 gastrointestinal radiation oncologists. Panelists were asked the number of HCC cases they treated in the past year. Case 1 had no vascular involvement, case 2 had extensive portal vein involvement, and case 3 had minor branched portal vein involvement. The agreement between the contoured total GTVs (primary + vascular GTV) was assessed using the generalized kappa statistic. Agreement interpretation was evaluated using Landis and Koch's interpretation of strength of agreement. The S95 contour, defined using the simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) algorithm consensus at the 95% confidence level, was created for each case. Results: Of the 11 panelists, 3 had treated >25 cases in the past year, 2 had treated 10 to 25 cases, 2 had treated 5 to 10 cases, 2 had treated 1 to 5 cases, 1 had treated 0 cases, and 1 did not respond. Near perfect agreement was seen for case 1, and substantial agreement was seen for cases 2 and 3. For case 2, there was significant heterogeneity in the volume identified as tumor thrombus (range 0.58-40.45 cc). For case 3, 2 panelists did not include the branched portal vein thrombus, and 7 panelists contoured thrombus separately from the primary tumor, also showing significant heterogeneity in volume of tumor thrombus (range 4.52-34.27 cc). Conclusions: In a group of experts, excellent agreement was seen in contouring total GTV. Heterogeneity exists in the definition of portal vein thrombus that may impact treatment

Purpose: Intensity modulated radiation therapy is used to reduce dose to adjacent critical structures while maintaining adequate target coverage, but it requires precise target localization. We report the 3-dimensional distribution of para-aortic (PA) lymph nodes (LN) in pelvic malignancies. We propose a guideline to accurately define the PA LN by anatomic landmarks and compare our data with published guidelines for pancreatic cancer. Methods and Materials: A retrospective analysis was performed on 46 patients with pelvic malignancies and positive PA LNs. Positive LNs were defined based on size and morphology or fluorodeoxyglucose avidity. All PA LNs were characterized into 3 groups based on location: left PA (between aorta and left psoas muscle), aortocaval (between aorta and inferior vena cava), and right paracaval (between inferior vena cava and right psoas muscle). Patients with retrocrural LNs were also analyzed. Results: One hundred thirty-three positive PA LNs were evaluated. The majority of the PA LNs were in the left PA (59%) and aortocaval (35) regions, and only 8% were in the right paracaval region. All patients with positive right paracaval LNs also had involved left PA LNs, with only 1 exception. The highest PA LN involvement was at the level of the renal vessels and was seen in 28% of patients. Of these patients with disease extending to renal vessels, 38% had retrocrural LN involvement. Conclusions: The nodal contouring for the PA region should not be defined by a fixed circumferential margin around the vessels. The left PA and aortocaval spaces should be covered adequately because these are common locations of PA LNs. For microscopic disease superiorly, contouring should extend up to renal vessels rather than a fixed bony landmark. For patients who have nodal involvement at renal vessels, one can consider including retrocrural LNs. Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup Para-aortic Contouring Guidelines for Pancreatic Neoplasm are not applicable to

Background Latin America, China and India are experiencing unprecedentedly rapid demographic ageing with an increasing number of people with dementia. The 10/66 Dementia Research Group's title refers to the 66% of people with dementia that live in developing countries and the less than one tenth of population-based research carried out in those settings. This paper describes the protocols for the 10/66 population-based and intervention studies that aim to redress this imbalance. Methods/design Cross-sectional comprehensive one phase surveys have been conducted of all residents aged 65 and over of geographically defined catchment areas in ten low and middle income countries (India, China, Nigeria, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and Argentina), with a sample size of between 1000 and 3000 (generally 2000). Each of the studies uses the same core minimum data set with cross-culturally validated assessments (dementia diagnosis and subtypes, mental disorders, physical health, anthropometry, demographics, extensive non communicable disease risk factor questionnaires, disability/functioning, health service utilisation, care arrangements and caregiver strain). Nested within the population based studies is a randomised controlled trial of a caregiver intervention for people with dementia and their families (ISRCTN41039907; ISRCTN41062011; ISRCTN95135433; ISRCTN66355402; ISRCTN93378627; ISRCTN94921815). A follow up of 2.5 to 3.5 years will be conducted in 7 countries (China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and Argentina) to assess risk factors for incident dementia, stroke and all cause and cause-specific mortality; verbal autopsy will be used to identify causes of death. Discussion The 10/66 DRG baseline population-based studies are nearly complete. The incidence phase will be completed in 2009. All investigators are committed to establish an anonymised file sharing archive with monitored public access. Our aim is to create an

Full Text Available [english] Background: The education of medical students to become qualified medical doctors should be improved in Germany. Reasons for this are medical teachers not properly trained in education, a lack of quality control and low esteem of medical education, too large groups, no intensive relationship between students and academic teachers and the triad for medical teachers at university hospitals to qualify in their discipline, to perform science and lecture medical students. At the same time experienced associate professors who left university are not integrated optimally in medical education programs. Pilotproject: Since 1998 we are performing weekend seminars for advanced medical students. 3 students are educated by 1 teacher. The topics of the training are differential diagnosis of anaemia, polyglobulinaemia, leukocytopenia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytosis, training in morphology, diagnosis and treatment of leukaemia and lymphoma and principles of communication skills. Patient cases are presented in a problem oriented learning manner using patient files, a video microscope and a computer based learning programme for interactive purposes.Results: So far 320 students have participated in our seminars. Systematic quality evaluation of the teaching reveals excellent marks for practical relevance, learning atmosphere, didactics and effectiveness. Impressions of the routine work in an oncologygroup practice widens the experience of the students.Conclusion: Academical training for medical students is feasable and successful in an oncologygroup practice. This teaching model enables external associate professors to give their education in the environment where they are working and may relieve the University personally and financially.[german] Hintergrund: Die Ausbildung von Medizinstudenten zu guten Ärzten ist in Deutschland verbesserungsbedürftig. Die Gründe für ein suboptimales Studium sind die häufig fehlende Vernetzung von

CT and MRI are both used for abdominal staging of pediatric renal tumors. The diagnostic performance of the two modalities for local and regional staging of renal tumors has not been systematically evaluated. To compare the diagnostic performance of CT and MRI for local staging of pediatric renal tumors. The study population was derived from the AREN03B2 study of the Children's OncologyGroup. Baseline abdominal imaging performed with both CT and MRI within 30 days of nephrectomy was available for retrospective review in 82 renal tumor cases. Each case was evaluated for capsular penetration, lymph node metastasis, tumor thrombus, preoperative tumor rupture, and synchronous contralateral lesions. The surgical and pathological findings at central review were the reference standard. The sensitivity of CT and MRI for detecting capsular penetration was 68.6% and 62.9%, respectively (P = 0.73), while specificity was 86.5% and 83.8% (P = 1.0). The sensitivity of CT and MRI for detecting lymph node metastasis was 76.5% and 52.9% (P = 0.22), and specificity was 90.4% and 92.3% (P = 1.0). Synchronous contralateral lesions were identified by CT in 4/9 cases and by MRI in 7/9 cases. CT and MRI have similar diagnostic performance for detection of lymph node metastasis and capsular penetration. MR detected more contralateral synchronous lesions; however these were present in a very small number of cases. Either modality can be used for initial loco-regional staging of pediatric renal tumors. (orig.)

A new randomized Phase III trial, the Japan Clinical OncologyGroup (JCOG) 1408, which compares two dose fractionations (JCOG 0403 and JCOG 0702) for medically inoperable Stage IA NSCLC or small lung lesions clinically diagnosed as primary lung cancer, involves the introduction of a prescribed dose to the D95% of the planning target volume (PTV) using a superposition/convolution algorithm. Therefore, we must determine the prescribed dose in the D95% prescribing method to begin JCOG1408. JCOG 0702 uses density correction and the D95% prescribing method. However, JCOG 0403 uses no density correction and isocenter- prescribing method. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prescribed dose to the D95% of the PTV equivalent to a dose of 48 Gy to the isocenter (JCOG 0403) using a superposition algorithm. The peripheral isodose line, which has the highest conformity index, and the D95% of the PTV were analyzed by considering the weighting factor, i.e. the inverse of the difference between the doses obtained using the superposition and Clarkson algorithms. The average dose at the isodose line of the highest conformity index and the D95% of the PTV were 41.5 ± 0.3 and 42.0 ± 0.3 Gy, respectively. The D95% of the PTV had a small correlation with the target volume (r2 = 0.0022) and with the distance between the scatterer and tumor volumes (r2 = 0.19). Thus, the prescribed dose of 48 Gy using the Clarkson algorithm (JCOG0403) was found to be equivalent to the prescribed dose of 42 Gy to the D95% of the PTV using the superposition algorithm. PMID:28115532

The purpose of our study was to quantitate the changes in axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), frozen section (FS), and the impact on costs after the publication of the American College of Surgeons OncologyGroup (ACOSOG) Z0011 trial. We compared axillary nodal management and cost data in breast cancer patients who met Z0011 criteria and were treated with lumpectomy and sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) biopsy from 2007 to July 2013. Of 800 patients, 67 (13.5%) and 34 (12.5%) patients in the pre- and post-Z0011 era had 1-2 positive SLN. ALND decreased from 78% to 21% (p < 0.001) after publication of Z0011. The mean overall cost of SLN biopsy was $41,059 per patient, while SLN biopsy with completion ALND was $50,999 (p < 0.001). Intraoperative FS use decreased from 95% to 66% (p = 0.015). Omitting the FS decreased mean costs from $4,319 to $2,036. The application of Z0011 resulted in an overall mean cost savings of $571,653 from 2011 to July 2013. ACOSOG Z0011 significantly impacted axillary management resulting in a 20% reduction in the mean overall cost per patient by omitting ALND. In these patients, intraoperative FS analysis had poor sensitivity (56%) and doubled the cost of pathologic examination. Fewer ALND and intraoperative FS were performed after the publication of ACOSOG Z0011. Eliminating FS and ALND in patients who met Z0011 criteria, results in significant cost savings.

Purpose: Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (RTOG) 0424 was a phase 2 study of a high-risk low-grade glioma (LGG) population who were treated with temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation therapy (RT), and outcomes were compared to those of historical controls. This study was designed to detect a 43% increase in median survival time (MST) from 40.5 to 57.9 months and a 20% improvement in 3-year overall survival (OS) rate from 54% to 65% at a 10% significance level (1-sided) and 96% power. Methods and Materials: Patients with LGGs with 3 or more risk factors for recurrence (age ≥40 years, astrocytoma histology, bihemispherical tumor, preoperative tumor diameter of ≥6 cm, or a preoperative neurological function status of >1) were treated with RT (54 Gy in 30 fractions) and concurrent and adjuvant TMZ. Results: From 2005 to 2009, 129 evaluable patients (75 males and 54 females) were accrued. Median age was 49 years; 91% had a Zubrod score of 0 or 1; and 69%, 25%, and 6% of patients had 3, 4, and 5 risk factors, respectively. Patients had median and minimum follow-up examinations of 4.1 years and 3 years, respectively. The 3-year OS rate was 73.1% (95% confidence interval: 65.3%-80.8%), which was significantly improved compared to that of prespecified historical control values (P

Background The quality of the home learning environment has a significant influence on children’s language and communication skills during the early years with children from disadvantaged families disproportionately affected. This paper describes the protocol and participant baseline characteristics of a community-based effectiveness study. It evaluates the effects of ‘smalltalk’, a brief group parenting intervention (with or without home coaching) on the quality of the early childhood home l...

Purpose Optimal assessment methods and criteria for reporting hearing outcomes in children who receive treatment with cisplatin are uncertain. The objectives of our study were to compare different ototoxicity classification systems, to evaluate the feasibility of including otoacoustic emissions and extended high frequency audiometry, and to evaluate a central review mechanism for audiologic results for cisplatin-treated children in the cooperative group setting. Patients and Methods Eligible participants were 1 to 30 years, with planned cisplatin-containing treatment. Hearing evaluations were conducted at baseline, before each cisplatin cycle, and at the end of therapy. Audiologic results were assessed and graded by the testing audiologist and by two central review audiologists using the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Ototoxicity Criteria (ASHA), Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0 (CTCAE), and Brock Ototoxicity Grades (Brock). One central reviewer also used the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Ototoxicity Scale (SIOP). Results At the end of treatment, the prevalence of any degree of ototoxicity ranged from 40% to 56%, and severe ototoxicity ranged from 7% to 22%. Compared with CTCAE, SIOP detected significantly more ototoxicity ( P = .004), whereas Brock criteria detected significantly fewer patients with any or severe ototoxicity ( P ototoxicity earlier than did the other scales. Agreement between the central reviewers and the institutional audiologist was almost perfect for ASHA and Brock, whereas the poorest agreement occurred with CTCAE. Conclusion The SIOP scale may be superior to ASHA, Brock, and CTCAE scales for classifying ototoxicity in pediatric patients who were treated with cisplatin. Future studies should evaluate inter-rater reliability of the SIOP scale.

Support groups for children in troubled families are available in a majority of Swedish municipalities. They are used as a preventive effort for children in families with different parental problems such as addiction to alcohol/other drugs, mental illness, domestic violence, divorce situations, or even imprisonment. Children from families with these problems are a well-known at-risk group for various mental health and social problems. Support groups aim at strengthening children's coping behaviour, to improve their mental health and to prevent a negative psycho-social development. To date, evaluations using a control-group study design are scarce. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effects of support groups. This paper describes the design of an effectiveness study, initially intended as a randomized controlled trial, but instead is pursued as a quasi-experimental study using a non-randomized control group. The aim is to include 116 children, aged 7-13 years and one parent/another closely related adult, in the study. Participants are recruited via existing support groups in the Stockholm county district and are allocated either into an intervention group or a waiting list control group, representing care as usual. The assessment consists of questionnaires that are to be filled in at baseline and at four months following the baseline. Additionally, the intervention group completes a 12-month follow-up. The outcomes include the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ S11-16), the Kids Coping Scale, the "Ladder of life" which measures overall life satisfaction, and "Jag tycker jag är" (I think I am) which measures self-perception and self-esteem. The parents complete the SDQ P4-16 (parent-report version) and the Swedish scale "Familjeklimat" (Family Climate), which measures the emotional climate in the family. There is a need for evaluating the effects of support groups targeted to children from troubled families. This quasi-experimental study

Full Text Available Purpose: BRCA1/BRCA2 germline mutations appear to enhance the platinum-sensitivity, but little is known about the prognostic relevance of polymorphisms in BRCA1/BRCA2 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC. This study evaluated whether common variants of BRCA1/BRCA2 are associated with progression-free survival (PFS and overall survival (OS in patients with advanced stage sporadic EOC.Experimental Design: The allelic frequency of BRCA1 (2612C>T, P871L-rs799917 and BRCA2 (114A>C, N372H-rs144848 were determined in normal blood DNA from women in Gynecologic OncologyGroup (GOG protocol #172 phase III trial with optimally-resected stage III EOC treated with intraperitoneal or intravenous cisplatin and paclitaxel (C+P. Associations between polymorphisms and PFS or OS were assessed. Results: 232 women were included for analyses. African Americans (AA had different distributions for the two polymorphisms from Caucasians and others. For non-AA patients, the genotype for BRCA1 P871L was distributed as 38% for CC, 49% for CT and 13% for TT. Median PFS was estimated to be 31, 21 and 21 months, respectively. After adjusting for cell type, residual disease and chemotherapy regimen, CT/TT genotypes were associated with a 1.40-fold increased risk of disease progression (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.00-1.95, p=0.049. After removing 7 patients with known BRCA1 germline mutations, the hazard ratio (HR was 1.36 (95% CI=0.97-1.91, p=0.073. The association between BRCA1 P871L and OS was not significant (HR =1.25, 95% CI=0.88-1.76, p=0.212. Genotype distribution of BRCA2 N372H among non-AA patients was 50%, 44% and 6% for AA, AC and CC, respectively and there is no evidence that this BRCA2 polymorphism was related to PFS or OS. Conclusion: Polymorphisms in BRCA1 P871L or in BRCA2 N372H were not associated with either PFS or OS in women with optimally-resected, stage III EOC treated with cisplatin and paclitaxel.

Over the last decades inside and outside of Europe, treatment-based data have been used in epidemiological research on drugs and drug abuse. They offer information on hidden populations and allow to follow socially stigmatised behaviour. As this type of research can be done on rather low budgets, there are long-term projects run in many countries. Experts from the national systems in several EU member states have been working together to develop a common standard on the basis of the Pompidou Group (PG) Definitive Protocol. The items and basic definitions of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)/PG Treatment Demand Indicator Protocol are described, which plays an important role in the process of harmonisation of data collection for the EMCDDA. Implementation strategies are described, and future steps are discussed.

Bryostatin-1 is a macrocyclic lactone that has been shown to regulate protein kinase C (PKC) activity and thereby potentially inhibit tumor invasion, angiogenesis, cell adhesion, and multidrug resistance. In preclinical experiments, bryostatin-1 induces tumor growth inhibition and enhances cytotoxicity when combined with other agents including cisplatin in cervical cancer cells. It was therefore anticipated that combination bryostatin-1-cisplatin therapy would be effective in patients with cervical cancer. The current study was conducted to evaluate this therapeutic approach in patients with recurrent or advanced-stage cervical carcinoma. An IRB-approved New York Gynecologic OncologyGroup (NYGOG) trial was activated for patients with a histological diagnosis of metastatic cervical cancer or in patients with recurrent disease not eligible for surgery or radiation. Enrolled patients received bryostatin-1 (50-65 microg/m(2)) as a 1-h infusion followed by cisplatin (50 mg/m(2)). The combined treatment was administered every 21 days. Fourteen patients were enrolled. The majority of patients had squamous cell carcinoma. Ten out of fourteen patients had recurrent disease. Fifty percent of the patients received bryostatin at 50 microg/m(2) and 50% received bryostatin at 65 microg/m(2). Seventy-one percent completed two cycles of treatment. The most common grade II-III toxicities were myalgia, anemia, and nausea or vomiting. One patient developed a hypersensitivity reaction and one developed grade III nephrotoxicity. Seventy-one percent (10/14) of patients were evaluated for tumor response. Eight out of ten (80%) of patients had progressive disease and 2/10 (20%) had stable disease. There were no treatment responses. Despite promising preclinical data, this clinical trial indicates that the combination of cisplatin and bryostatin-1 at the doses and schedule used is not effective in patients with advanced-stage or recurrent cervical cancer. There is even the possibility of

Multicast in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is an attractive mechanism for delivering data to multiple receivers as it saves bandwidth. To guarantee the security of multicast, the group key is used to encrypt and decrypt the packages. However, providing key management services in WSNs is complicated because sensor nodes possess limited resources of computing, storage and communication. To address the balance between security and limited resources, a multicast group key management protocol based on the weight-balanced 2-3 tree is proposed to generate, distribute, and update the group key securely and efficiently. The decentralized group key management method is employed. A weight-balanced 2-3 key tree is formed in every subgroup. Instead of using the conventional symmetric and non-symmetric encryption algorithms, the Maximum Distance Separable (MDS) code technique is used to distribute the multicast key dynamically. During the key updating, a series of adjustment rules are summarized to keep the tree weight-b...

AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry (DNOR) was established by the Danish Neuro-OncologyGroup as a national clinical database. It was established for the purpose of supporting research and development in adult patients with primary brain tumors in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: DNOR has...... advantage of reporting indicators is the related multidisciplinary discussions giving a better understanding of what actually is going on, thereby facilitating the work on adjusting the national guidelines in the Danish Neuro-OncologyGroup. CONCLUSION: The establishment of DNOR has optimized the quality...

The acquirement of basic knowledge of clinical trials and professional attitude in their practices is a general instructional objective in the Model Core Curriculum for Pharmaceutical Education. Unfortunately, the previous program of clinical trial education was not effective in the acquirement of a professional attitude in their practices. Then, we developed the new clinical trial education program using protocol through small group discussion (SGD) and roll-playing. Our program consists of 7 steps of practical training. In step 1, the students find some problems after presentation of the protocol including case and prescription. In step 2, they analyse the extracted problems and share the information obtained in SGD. In steps 3 and 5, five clinical case scenarios are presented to the students and they discuss which case is suitable for entry to the clinical trial or which case corresponds to the discontinuance criteria in the present designed protocol. In steps 4 and 6, the roll-playing is performed by teachers and students as doctors and clinical research coordinators (CRC) respectively. Further, we conducted a trial practice based on this program for the students. In the student's self-evaluation into five grades, the average score of the skill acquisition level in each step was 3.8-4.7 grade. Our clinical trial education program could be effective in educating the candidates for CRC or clinical pharmacists.

Group reminiscence therapy is a brief and structured intervention in which participants share personal past events with peers. This approach has been shown to be promising for improving wellbeing and reducing depressive symptoms among institutionalized older adults. However, despite the considerable interest in reminiscence group therapy, controlled studies to determine its specific benefits as compared to generic social interactions with peers (group conversations about everyday subjects) are still lacking. We have designed a randomized controlled trial aimed at comparing the effects of group reminiscence therapy with those of group recreational activity on the psychological wellbeing of an institutionalized sample of older adults. The study includes two groups of 20 hospitalized elderly participants: the experimental group and the control group. Participants included in the experimental group will receive six sessions of group reminiscence therapy, while the control group will participate in a recreational group discussion. A repeated-measures design will be used post-intervention and three months post-intervention to evaluate changes in self-reported outcome measures of depressive symptoms, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and quality of life from baseline. The protocol of a study aimed at examining the specific effects of group reminiscence therapy on psychological wellbeing, depression, and quality of life among institutionalized elderly people is described. It is expected that the outcomes of this trial will contribute to our knowledge about the process of group reminiscence, evaluate its effectiveness in improving psychological wellbeing of institutionalized individuals, and identify the best conditions for optimizing this approach. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number: NCT02077153) on 31 January 2014.

Full Text Available Peer-to-Peer streaming has been widely used over the internet, where a streaming system usually has multiple channels and peers may form multiple groups for content distribution. In this paper, we propose a distributed overlay framework called SMesh (subset-mesh for dynamic groups where users may frequently hop from one group to another. SMesh first builds a relatively stable mesh consisting of all hosts for control messaging. The mesh supports dynamic host joining and leaving, and construction of delivery trees. Using the Delaunay Triangulation protocol as an example, we show how to construct an efficient mesh with low maintenance cost. We also study about various tree constructions based on the mesh, including embedded, bypass, and intermediate trees.

Full Text Available Abstract Background The promotion of health and the interventions in community health continue to be one of the pending subjects of our health system. The most prevalent health problems (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes... are for the most part related to life habits. We propose a holistic and integral approach as the best option for tackling behavior and its determinants. The research team has elaborated the necessary educational material to realize group teaching, which we call "Health Workshops". The goal of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of these Health Workshops in the following terms: Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL, incorporate and maintain a balanced diet, do physical activity regularly, maintain risk factors such as tension, weight, cholesterol within normal limits and diminish cardiovascular risk. Methods/Design Controlled and random clinical testing, comparing a group of persons who have participated in the Health Workshops with a control group of similar characteristics who have not participated in the Health Workshops. Field of study: the research is being done in Health Centers of the city of Barcelona, Spain. Population studied: The group is composed of 108 persons that are actually doing the Health Workshops, and 108 that are not and form the control group. They are assigned at random to one group or the other. Data Analysis: With Student's t-distribution test to compare the differences between numerical variables or their non parametric equivalent if the variable does not comply with the criteria of normality. (Kolmogorov-Smirnof test. Chi-square test to compare the differences between categorical variables and the Logistic Regression Model to analyze different meaningful variables by dichotomous analysis related to the intervention. Discussion The Health Workshop proposed in the present study constitutes an innovative approach in health promotion, placing the emphasis on the person's self

In this paper a new two-round authenticated contributory group key agreement based on Elliptic Curve Diffie–Hellman protocol with Privacy Preserving Public Key Infrastructure (PP-PKI) is introduced and is extended to a dynamic authenticated contributory group key agreement with join and leave protocols for dynamic groups. The proposed protocol provides such security attributes as forward secrecy, backward secrecy, and defense against man in the middle (MITM) and Unknown keyshare security attacks and also authentication along with privacy preserving attributes like anonymity, traceability and unlinkability. In the end, they are compared with other popular Diffie–Hellman and Elliptic Curve Diffie–Hellman based group key agreement protocols and the results are found to be satisfactory.

The number of people receiving systemic anti-cancer treatment and presenting at emergency departments with treatment-related problems is rising. Nurses will be the first point of contact for most patients and need to be able to recognise oncological emergencies to initiate urgent assessment of patients and referral to the acute oncology team so that the most appropriate care can be delivered promptly. This article discusses the role of acute oncology services, and provides an overview of the most common acute oncological emergencies.

Pediatric hematology and oncology (PHO) is a rapidly expandingfield. It has been our goal to meet the needs and increasing demands for comprehensive medical care of children suffering from chronic blood diseases and malignancies. In the past decade we have been able expand and optimize the PHO services throughout Iran, in general and in respect to their prevalence and clinical importance, by trained pediatric hematologist-oncologists, pediatric surgeons and improved para clinical facilities. Major beta-thalassemics receive blood transfusion and chelation therapy according to the current standards mostly at regional blood banks centers. To curb major beta-thalassemia a premarital screening program has been enacted and abortion has been legitimized if major thalassemia is diagnosed by CVS. Hemophiliacs are supervised and treated as indicated by Iranian Hemophilia Comprehensive Care Centers (IHCCC). Screening for transfusion related complications and transmitted viral diseases (HBV, HCV and HIV) in both cohorts are carried out in regular intervals and necessary management will be then carried out as indicated at respective specialized units. Childhood malignancies are treated according to protocols adopted from accredited institutions in the USA and Europe, with almost comparable results. BMT is available for selected patients with beta-thalassemia or malignancies. By going to public we have been able to rise general awareness about chronic blood diseases and childhood malignancies and have initiated establishment of parents groups and formation of NGOs to support these children and their families. Foundation of Iranian Society of Pediatric Hamatology and Oncology (ISPHO) in the year 2000 has been another step forward to consolidate and coordinate the available manpower and facilities. By evaluation of the country's main problems and shortcomings and conduction of collaborative studies and operation planning one will succeed to get the expected feedback and

The objective of this review is to synthesize the best available evidence on palliative care experiences of adult cancer patients from ethnocultural groups.More specifically, this systematic review seeks to answer the following questions:1. What are the palliative care experiences of adult cancer patients from diverse ethnocultural groups?2. What meanings do adult patients with cancer from diverse ethnocultural groups assign to their experiences with palliative care? Globally, over 20.4 million people need palliative care services annually. The majority of these people (19 million) are adults, with 34% of them being patients diagnosed with cancer. With the current increase in the aging population, especially in developed countries, the number of adults requiring palliative care is expected to rise. Furthermore, how palliative care is offered and received continues to be shaped by culture and ethnicity. Likewise, culture and ethnicity influence how palliative care patients experience diseases like cancer, and seek and utilize palliative care services. Also, healthcare providers sometimes find it challenging to address the palliative care needs of patients from different ethnocultural groups. Sometimes these challenges are believed to be due to cultural incompetence of the care provider. When palliative care patients and their providers differ in their perception of care needs and how to address them, negative palliative care experiences are likely to ensue. Therefore, as the demand for palliative care increases, and ethnocultural factors continue to affect palliation, it is important to gain a better understanding of palliative care experiences of patients from different ethnocultural groups.The terms culture and ethnicity have been defined and used differently in literature which sometimes lead to confusion. Ethnicity has been defined as distinctive shared origins or social backgrounds and traditions of a group of people that are maintained between generations and

Purpose In low–tumor burden follicular lymphoma (FL), maintenance rituximab (MR) has been shown to improve progression-free survival when compared with observation. It is not known whether MR provides superior long-term disease control compared with re-treatment rituximab (RR) administered on an as-needed basis. E4402 (RESORT) was a randomized clinical trial designed to compare MR against RR. Patients and Methods Eligible patients with previously untreated low–tumor burden FL received four doses of rituximab, and responding patients were randomly assigned to either RR or MR. Patients receiving RR were eligible for re-treatment at each disease progression until treatment failure. Patients assigned to MR received a single dose of rituximab every 3 months until treatment failure. The primary end point was time to treatment failure. Secondary end points included time to first cytotoxic therapy, toxicity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Results A total of 289 patients were randomly assigned to RR or MR. With a median follow-up of 4.5 years, the estimated median time to treatment failure was 3.9 years for patients receiving RR and 4.3 years for those receiving MR (P = .54). Three-year freedom from cytotoxic therapy was 84% for those receiving RR and 95% for those receiving MR (P = .03). The median number of rituximab doses was four patients receiving RR and 18 for those receiving MR. There was no difference in HRQOL. Grade 3 to 4 toxicities were infrequent in both arms. Conclusion In low–tumor burden FL, a re-treatment strategy uses less rituximab while providing disease control comparable to that achieved with a maintenance strategy. PMID:25154829

Full Text Available Abstract Background Phylogenetic studies using expressed sequence tags (EST are becoming a standard approach to answer evolutionary questions. Such studies are usually based on large sets of newly generated, unannotated, and error-prone EST sequences from different species. A first crucial step in EST-based phylogeny reconstruction is to identify groups of orthologous sequences. From these data sets, appropriate target genes are selected, and redundant sequences are eliminated to obtain suitable sequence sets as input data for tree-reconstruction software. Generating such data sets manually can be very time consuming. Thus, software tools are needed that carry out these steps automatically. Results We developed a flexible and user-friendly software pipeline, running on desktop machines or computer clusters, that constructs data sets for phylogenomic analyses. It automatically searches assembled EST sequences against databases of orthologous groups (OG, assigns ESTs to these predefined OGs, translates the sequences into proteins, eliminates redundant sequences assigned to the same OG, creates multiple sequence alignments of identified orthologous sequences and offers the possibility to further process this alignment in a last step by excluding potentially homoplastic sites and selecting sufficiently conserved parts. Our software pipeline can be used as it is, but it can also be adapted by integrating additional external programs. This makes the pipeline useful for non-bioinformaticians as well as to bioinformatic experts. The software pipeline is especially designed for ESTs, but it can also handle protein sequences. Conclusion OrthoSelect is a tool that produces orthologous gene alignments from assembled ESTs. Our tests show that OrthoSelect detects orthologs in EST libraries with high accuracy. In the absence of a gold standard for orthology prediction, we compared predictions by OrthoSelect to a manually created and published phylogenomic data

Purpose: To evaluate the rate of gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity of neoadjuvant chemoradiation with capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in cT3-4 rectal cancer. Methods and Materials: Patients with localized, nonmetastatic T3 or T4 rectal cancer <12 cm from the anal verge were enrolled in a prospective, multi-institutional, single-arm study of preoperative chemoradiation. Patients received 45 Gy with IMRT in 25 fractions, followed by a 3-dimensional conformal boost of 5.4 Gy in 3 fractions with concurrent capecitabine/oxaliplatin (CAPOX). Surgery was performed 4 to 8 weeks after the completion of therapy. Patients were recommended to receive FOLFOX chemotherapy after surgery. The primary endpoint of the study was acute grade 2 to 5 GI toxicity. Seventy-one patients provided 80% probability to detect at least a 12% reduction in the specified GI toxicity with the treatment of CAPOX and IMRT, at a significance level of .10 (1-sided). Results: Seventy-nine patients were accrued, of whom 68 were evaluable. Sixty-one patients (89.7%) had cT3 disease, and 37 (54.4%) had cN (+) disease. Postoperative chemotherapy was given to 42 of 68 patients. Fifty-eight patients had target contours drawn per protocol, 5 patients with acceptable variation, and 5 patients with unacceptable variations. Thirty-five patients (51.5%) experienced grade ≥2 GI toxicity, 12 patients (17.6%) experienced grade 3 or 4 diarrhea, and pCR was achieved in 10 patients (14.7%). With a median follow-up time of 3.98 years, the 4-year rate of locoregional failure was 7.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0%-13.7%). The 4-year rates of OS and DFS were 82.9% (95% CI: 70.1%-90.6%) and 60.6% (95% CI: 47.5%-71.4%), respectively. Conclusion: The use of IMRT in neoadjuvant chemoradiation for rectal cancer did not reduce the rate of GI toxicity.

Resilience has been suggested as an important coping strategy for nurses working in demanding settings, such as paediatric oncology. This qualitative study explored paediatric oncology nurses' perceptions of their development of resilience and how this resilience underpinned their ability to deal with work-related stressors. Five paediatric oncology nurses were interviewed about their understanding of the concept of resilience, their preferred coping mechanisms, and their day-today work in paediatric oncology. Using thematic analysis, the interviews were subsequently grouped together into seventeen initial themes. These themes were then grouped into seven major aspects that described how the participants perceived resilience underpinned their work. These "seven aspects of forming resilience" contributed to an initial understanding of how paediatric oncology nurses develop resilience in the face of their personal and professional challenges. Several key strategies derived from the findings, such as improved rostering, support to a nurse's friend and family, and a clinical support nursing role, could be implemented at an organizational level to support resilience development within the paediatric oncology setting.

Background The outcome of the treatment of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still disappointing, due to relatively high treatment-related mortality and relapse rates (3040%). Past treatment protocols have called for routine screening via bone marrow aspiration (BMA) after achievement of fir

Oncology care is becoming increasingly complex. The interprofessional team concept of care is necessary to meet projected oncology professional shortages, as well as to provide superior oncology care. The oncology advanced practitioner (AP) is a licensed health care professional who has completed advanced training in nursing or pharmacy or has completed training as a physician assistant. Oncology APs increase practice productivity and efficiency. Proven to be cost effective, APs may perform varied roles in an oncology practice. Integrating an AP into an oncology practice requires forethought given to the type of collaborative model desired, role expectations, scheduling, training, and mentoring.

Prompt identification and treatment of life-threatening oncological conditions is of utmost importance and should always be included in the differential diagnosis. Oncological emergencies can have a myriad of presentations ranging from mechanical obstruction due to tumor growth to metabolic conditions due to abnormal secretions from the tumor. Notably, hematologic and infectious conditions may complicate the presentation of oncological emergencies. Advanced testing and imaging is generally required to recognize these serious presentations of common malignancies. Early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions can significantly affect the patient's clinical outcome.

Purpose: To determine the feasibility of pelvic intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for patients with endometrial cancer in a multi-institutional setting and to determine whether this treatment is associated with fewer short-term bowel adverse events than standard radiation therapy. Methods: Patients with adenocarcinoma of the endometrium treated with pelvic radiation therapy alone were eligible. Guidelines for target definition and delineation, dose prescription, and dose-volume constraints for the targets and critical normal structures were detailed in the study protocol and a web-based atlas. Results: Fifty-eight patients were accrued by 25 institutions; 43 were eligible for analysis. Forty-two patients (98%) had an acceptable IMRT plan; 1 had an unacceptable variation from the prescribed dose to the nodal planning target volume. The proportions of cases in which doses to critical normal structures exceeded protocol criteria were as follows: bladder, 67%; rectum, 76%; bowel, 17%; and femoral heads, 33%. Twelve patients (28%) developed grade {>=}2 short-term bowel adverse events. Conclusions: Pelvic IMRT for endometrial cancer is feasible across multiple institutions with use of a detailed protocol and centralized quality assurance (QA). For future trials, contouring of vaginal and nodal tissue will need continued monitoring with good QA and better definitions will be needed for organs at risk.

In RFC1949,A. Ballardie proposed a method of scalable multicast key distribution based on the Core Based Tree multicast protocol fitting for wide-area IP multicasting. This paper analyses the method deeply,points out that the model can't resist the key compromise of a single member effectively,and proposes two kinds of improvement. One is the distributed generating and distributing group data encryption key,the other one is partitioning the group into subgroups. These improvements can increase the security and lifetime of the group key,and decrease the loss of compromise of a single group key encryption key.

The progress in oncological treatment has led to the current increase of childhood cancer survival rate to 80%. That is why orthodontists more and more frequently consult patients who had completed a successful anti-cancer therapy in childhood. Oncological treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or supportive immunosuppressive therapy cause numerous side effects in growing patients, connected i.a. with growth, the development of teeth or the viscerocranium. This is a special group of patients that needs an optimised plan of orthodontic treatment and often has to accept a compromise result. The purpose of the current work is to discuss the results of orthodontic treatment in patients after an anti-cancer therapy. Time of treatment was 12,5 months. In 6 patients (from 40 undergoing orthodontic therapy) we haven't reached a normocclusion, in 9 patients we should have stopped the therapy because of the recurrence. In 11 patients we found mucosa inflammation and in 1 patient the therapy stopped before the end because of very low oral hygiene level. Bearing in mind the limited number of original works on the above topic in Polish medical literature, the study has been carried out in order to make Polish orthodontists more acquainted with the topic and the standards of dealing with an oncological patient.

Background This paper presents the study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a supplementary matched control group. The aim of the trial is to evaluate a community-based early education and development program launched by the Government of Indonesia. The program w

The debate is vigorous in psycho-oncology about whether spiritual, existential, and psychosocial are the most comprehensive terms for academic research discourses investigating meaning and purpose. A call-to-action email from the International Society of Psycho-Oncology included the term soul. The current essay highlights the historical and contemporary uses of "soul" to suggest that the re-emergent soul signifies a tacit quest for an "intangible" that seems missing in current constructs of clinical domains reflected in the vigor of the debates. It is suggested that the re-emergence of the pre-Medieval meaning(s) of the notion of soul affirms a growing need for integrative paradigms on "being human" to guide psycho-oncology practitioners and their research. As a paradigmatic example, a clinical support group entitled Soul Medicine is described as employing the term soul to open up the more marginal discourses about experiences of illness arising from philosophical reflection, arts, humanities, and spirituality within a clinical oncology context. A link between soul and wisdom is suggested for further exploration with the view that phronesis ("the virtue of practical wisdom"), an emerging concept in health professional education research, is of ultimate value to the people psycho-oncology seeks to serve. This group holds that garnering wisdom from the expertise of those living with cancer should be a central aim of our field.

The authors report a retrospective assessment of late xerostomia according to the RTOG (Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup) classification of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) among patients treated by intensity-modulated conformational radiotherapy (IMRT) and suffering from upper aero-digestive tract carcinomas of different stages. Some of these patients have bee operated, and some have been treated by chemotherapy. It appears that the IMRT results in a reduction of late xerostomia, and even in an absence of salivary toxicity. Short communication

/MRI using [18F]-fluoro-ethyl-tyrosine (FET) also abide to the expectations of the adaptive and versatile diagnostic tool necessary in neuro-oncology covering both simple 20 min protocols for routine treatment surveillance and complicated 90 min brain and spinal cord protocols in pediatric neuro......-oncology under general anesthesia. The clinical value of adding advanced MRI sequences in multiparametric imaging setting, however, is still undocumented....

The value of comparative oncology has been increasingly recognized in the field of cancer research, including the identification of cancer-associated genes; the study of environmental risk factors, tumor biology, and progression; and, perhaps most importantly, the evaluation of novel cancer therapeutics. The fruits of this effort are expected to be the creation of better and more specific drugs to benefit veterinary and human patients who have cancer. The state of the comparative oncology field is outlined in this article, with an emphasis on cancer in dogs.

Purpose: Long-term (LT) androgen suppression (AS) with radiation therapy (RT) is a standard treatment of high-risk, localized prostate cancer (PCa). Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup 9902 was a randomized trial testing the hypothesis that adjuvant combination chemotherapy (CT) with paclitaxel, estramustine, and oral etoposide plus LT AS plus RT would improve overall survival (OS). Methods and Materials: Patients with high-risk PCa (prostate-specific antigen 20-100 ng/mL and Gleason score [GS] ≥7 or clinical stage ≥T2 and GS ≥8) were randomized to RT and AS (AS + RT) alone or with adjuvant CT (AS + RT + CT). CT was given as four 21-day cycles, delivered beginning 28 days after 70.2 Gy of RT. AS was given as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone for 24 months, beginning 2 months before RT plus an oral antiandrogen for 4 months before and during RT. The study was designed based on a 6% improvement in OS from 79% to 85% at 5 years, with 90% power and a 2-sided alpha of 0.05. Results: A total of 397 patients (380 eligible) were randomized. The patients had high-risk PCa, 68% with GS 8 to 10 and 34% T3 to T4 tumors, and median prostate-specific antigen of 22.6 ng/mL. The median follow-up period was 9.2 years. The trial closed early because of excess thromboembolic toxicity in the CT arm. The 10-year results for all randomized patients revealed no significant difference between the AS + RT and AS + RT + CT arms in OS (65% vs 63%; P=.81), biochemical failure (58% vs 54%; P=.82), local progression (11% vs 7%; P=.09), distant metastases (16% vs 14%; P=.42), or disease-free survival (22% vs 26%; P=.61). Conclusions: NRG Oncology RTOG 9902 showed no significant differences in OS, biochemical failure, local progression, distant metastases, or disease-free survival with the addition of adjuvant CT to LT AS + RT. The trial results provide valuable data regarding the natural history of high-risk PCa treated with LT AS + RT and have implications for

Support Services As part of the comprehensive care provided at the NCI Pediatric Oncology Branch, we provide a wide range of services to address the social, psychological, emotional, and practical facets of pediatric cancer and to support patients and families while they are enrolled in clinical research protocols.

Treatment protocols in pediatric oncology have historically known high accrual rates, up to 94 %. Accrual for supportive care studies on the other hand appears to be a challenge. The aim of this study was to search for reasons explaining this poor accrual and for possible interventions to improve pa

Purpose: Partial breast irradiation (PBI) after lumpectomy may be an option for selected patients with early breast cancer. A feasibility study of accelerated PBI delivered using external beam 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (RT) was undertaken at 8 Australasian centers. The present study evaluated the impact of patient, tumor, and RT technique-related factors on the quality of RT plans as determined by the dose–volume parameters of organs at risk. Methods and Materials: Forty-eight patients were enrolled in the study. All RT plans were centrally reviewed using predefined dosimetric criteria before commencement and after completion of protocol therapy. The RT plans of 47 patients met the dose–volume constraints, and all 47 patients received PBI to a prescribed dose of 38.5 Gy in 10 fractions. The RT plan quality was determined by volumes of the ipsilateral whole breast, lung, and heart that received 50% and 95%; 30%; and 5% of the prescribed dose, respectively. Patient, tumor, and RT technique-related factors were investigated for association with the parameters of RT plan quality. Results: The ratio of the planning target volume to the ipsilateral whole-breast volume was significantly associated with the ipsilateral breast doses on multiple variable analyses. The distance of the postlumpectomy surgical cavity from the heart and lung were predictive for heart and lung doses, respectively. A distance between surgical cavity and heart of >4 cm typically resulted in <1% of the heart volume receiving 5 Gy or less. It was more difficult to meet the heart dose constraint for left-sided and medially located tumors. Conclusions: Partial breast irradiation using 3-dimensional conformal RT was feasible within the study constraints. The ratio of planning target volume to ipsilateral whole-breast volume and the distance of surgical cavity from the heart were significant predictors of the quality of treatment plan for external beam PBI.

Our group previously demonstrated a strong association between elevated plasma soluble CD13 enzyme activity and newly diagnosed extensive chronic GVHD (cGVHD) in children. As cytotoxic anti-CD13 Abs have been documented after blood and marrow transplant (BMT) in association with CMV infection and cGVHD, we hypothesized that soluble CD13 contributes to cGVHD pathogenesis by induction of CD13 reactive Abs and that anti-CD13 Abs could be additional biomarkers for newly diagnosed pediatric extensive cGVHD. Using prospectively collected plasma samples from pediatric allogeneic BMT (allo-BMT) subjects with cGVHD and controls without cGVHD enrolled in a large multi-institution Children's OncologyGroup cGVHD therapeutic trial, we evaluated whether soluble CD13 correlates with induction of anti-CD13 Abs. We found that CD13 reactive Abs are present in a proportion of patients after allo-BMT, but did not seem to correlate with the presence of soluble CD13. Anti-CD13 Abs also did not meet our criteria as a diagnostic biomarker for cGVHD. These data do not confirm that induction of CD13 reactive Abs is a mechanism for cGVHD in children nor are part of the pathogenesis of cGVHD associated with elevated soluble CD13. The exact role of CD13 in cGVHD remains to be determined.

Nurses, the largest group of health care professionals, and the policies of nursing organizations, have tremendous potential to promote health and tobacco control. Policies addressing tobacco use have been implemented by a variety of national and international nursing organizations. This article reviews existing tobacco control policies in oncology nursing organizations.

The movement to improve healthcare quality has led to a need for carefully designed quality indicators that accurately reflect the quality of care. Many different measures have been proposed and continue to be developed by governmental agencies and accrediting bodies. However, given the inherent differences in the delivery of care among medical specialties, the same indicators will not be valid across all of them. Specifically, oncology is a field in which it can be difficult to develop quality indicators, because the effectiveness of an oncologic intervention is often not immediately apparent, and the multidisciplinary nature of the field necessarily involves many different specialties. Existing and emerging comparative effectiveness data are helping to guide evidence-based practice, and the increasing availability of these data provides the opportunity to identify key structure and process measures that predict for quality outcomes. The increasing emphasis on quality and efficiency will continue to compel the medical profession to identify appropriate quality measures to facilitate quality improvement efforts and to guide accreditation, credentialing, and reimbursement. Given the wide-reaching implications of quality metrics, it is essential that they be developed and implemented with scientific rigor. The aims of the present report were to review the current state of quality assessment in oncology, identify existing indicators with the best evidence to support their implementation, and propose a framework for identifying and refining measures most indicative of true quality in oncologic care.

Considers in detail all aspects of molecular imaging in oncology, ranging from basic research to clinical applications in the era of evidence-based medicine. Examines technological issues and probe design. Discusses preclinical studies in detail, with particular attention to multimodality imaging. Presents current clinical use of PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and optical imagingWritten by acknowledged experts. The impact of molecular imaging on diagnostics, therapy, and follow-up in oncology is increasing significantly. The process of molecular imaging includes key biotarget identification, design of specific molecular imaging probes, and their preclinical evaluation, e.g., in vivo using small animal studies. A multitude of such innovative molecular imaging probes have already entered clinical diagnostics in oncology. There is no doubt that in future the emphasis will be on multimodality imaging in which morphological, functional, and molecular imaging techniques are combined in a single clinical investigation that will optimize diagnostic processes. This handbook addresses all aspects of molecular imaging in oncology, ranging from basic research to clinical applications in the era of evidence-based medicine. The first section is devoted to technology and probe design, and examines a variety of PET and SPECT tracers as well as multimodality probes. Preclinical studies are then discussed in detail, with particular attention to multimodality imaging. In the third section, diverse clinical applications are presented, and the book closes by looking at future challenges. This handbook will be of value to all who are interested in the revolution in diagnostic oncology that is being brought about by molecular imaging.

Purpose Broadening trial eligibility to improve accrual and access and to better reflect intended-to-treat populations has been recognized as a priority. Historically, patients with brain metastases have been understudied, because of restrictive eligibility across all phases of clinical trials. Methods In 2016, after a literature search and series of teleconferences, a multistakeholder workshop was convened. Our working group focused on developing consensus recommendations regarding the inclusion of patients with brain metastases in clinical trials, as part of a broader effort that encompassed minimum age, HIV status, and organ dysfunction. The working group attempted to balance the needs of protecting patient safety, facilitating access to investigational therapies, and ensuring trial integrity. On the basis of input at the workshop, guidelines were further refined and finalized. Results The working group identified three key populations: those with treated/stable brain metastases, defined as patients who have received prior therapy for their brain metastases and whose CNS disease is radiographically stable at study entry; those with active brain metastases, defined as new and/or progressive brain metastases at the time of study entry; and those with leptomeningeal disease. In most circumstances, the working group encourages the inclusion of patients with treated/stable brain metastases in clinical trials. A framework of key considerations for patients with active brain metastases was developed. For patients with leptomeningeal disease, inclusion of a separate cohort in both early-phase and later-phase trials is recommended, if CNS activity is anticipated and when relevant to the specific disease type. Conclusion Expanding eligibility to be more inclusive of patients with brain metastasis is justified in many cases and may speed the development of effective therapies in this area of high clinical need.

To compare the efficacy of two starting protocols of multiple dose GnRH antagonists (GnRH-a). Prospective randomized controlled study. In vitro fertilization-embryo transfer program at the Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Valencia, Spain. One hundred nine patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) with recombinant gonadotropins and GnRH-a (0.25 mg/d). Patients started GnRH-a administration on stimulation day 6 (group 1) or when the leading follicle reached a mean diameter of 14 mm (group 2). Implantation and pregnancy rates; serum E(2) and LH levels during ovarian stimulation; days of stimulation and GnRH-a administration. Days needed for ovarian stimulation were similar in both groups but there was a significant difference when comparing days of GnRH-a administration. Serum E(2) and LH followed similar curves in both groups. Implantation and pregnancy rates were 23.7% and 44.4 % in group 1 and 28.6% and 50.9 % in group 2 (P=not significant [NS]). The efficacy of the two starting protocols of the multiple dose GnRH-a evaluated in this study is similar; however, this remark can only be drawn for a selected group of patients.

Purpose: A phase 2 study was completed by the Korean Gynecologic OncologicGroup to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of concurrent chemoradiation with weekly paclitaxel in patients with high-risk endometrial cancer. Methods and Materials: Pathologic requirements included endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma stages III and IV. Radiation therapy consisted of a total dose of 4500 to 5040 cGy in 5 fractions per week for 6 weeks. Paclitaxel 60 mg/m{sup 2} was administered once weekly for 5 weeks during radiation therapy. Results: Fifty-seven patients were enrolled between January 2006 and March 2008. The median follow-up time was 60.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 51.0-58.2). All grade 3/4 toxicities were hematologic and usually self-limited. There was no life-threatening toxicity. The cumulative incidence of intrapelvic recurrence sites was 1.9% (1/52), and the cumulative incidence of extrapelvic recurrence sites was 34.6% (18/52). The estimated 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 63.5% (95% CI, 50.4-76.5) and 82.7% (95% CI, 72.4-92.9), respectively. Conclusions: Concurrent chemoradiation with weekly paclitaxel is well tolerated and seems to be effective for high-risk endometrioid endometrial cancers. This approach appears reasonable to be tested for efficacy in a prospective, randomized controlled study.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a cytokine critical to inflammation, immunological activation, response to infection, and bone marrow hematopoiesis. Cyclophosphamide downmodulates immune suppressor cells and is cytotoxic to a variety of tumors. A phase I trial of IL-1 and cyclophosphamide was conducted by the Eastern Cooperative OncologyGroup. This study evaluated 3 dose levels and 3 schedules in patients with solid tumors. The goal was to evaluate the hematopoietic supportive care effect and possible antitumor effect. Toxicity was fever, chills, hypotension, nausea/emesis, hepatic, and neutropenia. Toxicity increased with dose increases of interleukin-1. Treatment at all dose levels resulted in significant increases in total white blood cell (WBC) counts above baseline. Nadir WBC and nadir absolute neutrophil counts were not significantly different by dose level of IL-1 or schedule of IL-1. Toxicity due to IL-1 at higher doses prohibited further evaluation of this agent for hematopoietic support, particularly in view of the activity and tolerability of more lineage-specific hematopoietic cytokines. Therapeutic interventions in the role of IL-1 in inflammatory conditions and cancer may be further informed by our definition of its clinical and biological effects in this evaluation of dose and schedule. PMID:24433038

Purpose Patients with organ dysfunction, prior or concurrent malignancies, and comorbidities are often excluded from clinical trials. Excluding patients on the basis of these factors results in clinical trial participants who are healthier and younger than the overall population of patients with cancer. Methods ASCO and Friends of Cancer Research established a multidisciplinary working group that included experts in trial design and conduct to examine how eligibility criteria could be more inclusive. The group analyzed current eligibility criteria; conducted original data analysis; considered safety concerns, potential benefits, research, and potential hurdles of this approach through discussion; and reached consensus on recommendations regarding updated eligibility criteria that prioritize inclusiveness without compromising patient safety. Results If renal toxicity and clearance are not of direct treatment-related concern, then patients with lower creatinine clearance values of > 30 mL/min should be included in trials. Inclusion of patients with mild to moderate hepatic dysfunction may be possible when the totality of the available nonclinical and clinical data indicates that inclusion is safe. Ejection fraction values should be used with investigator assessment of a patient's risk for heart failure to determine eligibility. Patients with laboratory parameters out of normal range as a result of hematologic disease should be included in trials. Measures of patient functional status should be included in trials to better assess fit versus frail patients. Conclusion Expanding inclusion of these patients will increase the number and diversity of patients in clinical trials and result in a more appropriate population of patients.

(n = 120). RESPECT includes Danish-speaking children diagnosed with cancer and treated at pediatric oncology units in Denmark. Primary endpoints are the level of educational achievement one year after the cessation of first-line cancer therapy, and the value of VO2max one year after the cessation......Background During cancer treatment children have reduced contact with their social network of friends, and have limited participation in education, sports, and leisure activities. During and following cancer treatment, children describe school related problems, reduced physical fitness......, and problems related to interaction with peers. Methods/design The RESPECT study is a nationwide population-based prospective, controlled, mixed-methods intervention study looking at children aged 6-18 years newly diagnosed with cancer in eastern Denmark (n = 120) and a matched control group in western Denmark...

Purpose: To promote the rational use of scarce research funding, scholars have developed methods for the systematic identification and prioritization of health research needs. The Radiation Oncology Institute commissioned an independent, comprehensive assessment of research needs for the advancement of radiation oncology care. Methods and Materials: The research needs assessment used a mixed-method, qualitative and quantitative social scientific approach, including structured interviews with diverse stakeholders, focus groups, surveys of American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) members, and a prioritization exercise using a modified Delphi technique. Results: Six co-equal priorities were identified: (1) Identify and develop communication strategies to help patients and others better understand radiation therapy; (2) Establish a set of quality indicators for major radiation oncology procedures and evaluate their use in radiation oncology delivery; (3) Identify best practices for the management of radiation toxicity and issues in cancer survivorship; (4) Conduct comparative effectiveness studies related to radiation therapy that consider clinical benefit, toxicity (including quality of life), and other outcomes; (5) Assess the value of radiation therapy; and (6) Develop a radiation oncology registry. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this prioritization exercise is the only comprehensive and methodologically rigorous assessment of research needs in the field of radiation oncology. Broad dissemination of these findings is critical to maximally leverage the impact of this work, particularly because grant funding decisions are often made by committees on which highly specialized disciplines such as radiation oncology are not well represented.

Oncologists and related health care professionals (HCPs) do not only have to follow professional protocols in their everyday work, but also have to communicate proper attitudes towards patients suffering from malignant diseases. This task is often a heavier load than the implementation of professional activities themselves. The present article is based on a survey on HCP work motivation, employment parameters and correlations with emotional labour. Fifty oncology HCPs at Debrecen University Medical Health Sciences Centre volunteered to participate in this survey containing 20 simple-choice questions. More than 90 percent of HCPs make an effort to hide their emotional state, giving way to possible negative side effects. The survey showed significant differences between the level of emotional labour of those working in the field of oncology longer or shorter than ten years. Surface and deep emotional labour is more frequent among professionals already working in oncology for a longer period of time. This can serve us with explanation to the burn-out syndrome so frequent in this profession. To diminish the load of emotional labour, healthcare institutes have to aim at hiring employees that spontaneously fit the emotional and behavioural norms facing them, and do not need officially prescribed behavioural norms for everyday work. Their constant need for respect and appreciation of their values must be kept in mind, because the capability of genuine emotional labour diminishes parallel to the number of years spent in work.

Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare heterogeneous disease characterized by pancytopenia and hypoplastic bone marrow. The incidence is 2-3/million inhabitants/year, in Europe, but higher in East Asia. Survival in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) has markedly improved in the past 2 decades because of advances in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, immunosuppressive and biologic drugs, and supportive care. In SAA hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) from a matched sibling donor (MSD) is the treatment of choice. If a MSD is not available, the options include immunosuppressive therapy (IST) or unrelated donor HSCT. The objective of this guideline is to provide healthcare professionals with clear guidance on the diagnosis and management of pediatric patients with AA. A preliminary, evidence-based document issued by a group of pediatric hematologists was discussed, modified and approved during a series of "Consensus Conferences" according to procedures previously validated by the AIEOP Board. The guidelines highlight the importance of referring pediatric patients with AA to pediatric centers with long experience in diagnosis, differential diagnosis, management, supportive care and follow-up of AA.

The objective of recent radiation therapy is to improve the quality of treatment and the after treatment quality of life. In Korea, sharing the same objective, significant advancement was made due to the gradual increase of patient number and rapid increase of treatment facilities. The advancement includes generalization of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), application of linac-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and furthermore, the introduction of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Authors in this paper prospectively review the followings: the advancement of radiation oncology in Korea, the recent status of four-dimensional radiation therapy. IMRT, the concept of the treatment with biological conformity, the trend of combined chemoradiotherapy, the importance of internet and radiation oncology information management system as influenced by the revolution of information technology, and finally the global trend of telemedicine in radiation oncology. Additionally, we suggest the methods to improve radiotherapy treatment, which include improvement of quality assurance (QA) measures by developing Koreanized QA protocol and system, regional study about clinical protocol development for phase three clinical trial, suggestion of unified treatment protocol and guideline by academic or research societies, domestic generation of treatment equipment's or system, establishment of nationwide data base of radiation-oncology-related information, and finally pattems-of-care study about major cancers.

Purpose To validate lysyl oxidase (LOX), a hypoxia-related protein, as a marker for metastasis in an independent head and neck cancer (HNC) patient group enrolled onto a prospective trial. Patients and Methods We performed traditional immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) for LOX expression in 66 HNC patients from one institution. We also performed AQUA staining for LOX in 306 of 1,113 patients treated on a phase III trial comparing four radiation fractionation schedules in locally advanced HNC (RTOG 90-03). Pretreatment characteristics and outcome were similar between patients with and without LOX assessment. We correlated AQUA LOX expression with time to metastasis (TTM), time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS). Results LOX expression from both staining methods predicted for TTM in the first 66 patients. Multivariate analysis, controlling for significant parameters including nodal stage and performance status, revealed tumor LOX expression, as a continuous variable, was an independent predictor for TTM (hazard ratio [HR], 1.21; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.33; P = .0001), TTP (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.10; P = .0069), and OS (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.07; P = .0311) in RTOG 90-03 patients. This translates into a 259% increase in metastatic risk for a patient at the 75th percentile of LOX compared with one at the 25th percentile. Conclusion AQUA LOX expression was strongly associated with increased metastasis, progression, and death in RTOG 90-03 patients. This study validates that LOX is a marker for metastasis and survival in HNC. PMID:19667273

Vesicular monoamine transporters 1 and 2 (VMAT1 and VMAT2) are thought to mediate MIBG uptake in adult neuroendocrine tumors. In neuroblastoma, the norepinephrine transporter (NET) has been investigated as the principal MIBG uptake protein, though some tumors without NET expression concentrate MIBG. We investigated VMAT expression in neuroblastoma and correlated expression with MIBG uptake and clinical features. We evaluated VMAT1 and VMAT2 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in neuroblastoma tumors from 76 patients with high-risk metastatic disease treated in a uniform cooperative group trial (COG A3973). All patients had baseline MIBG diagnostic scans centrally reviewed. IHC results were scored as the product of intensity grading (0 - 3+) and percent of tumor cells expressing the protein of interest. The association between VMAT1 and VMAT2 scores and clinical and biological features was tested using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Patient characteristics were typical of high-risk neuroblastoma, though the cohort was intentionally enriched in patients with MIBG-nonavid tumors (n = 20). VMAT1 and VMAT2 were expressed in 62 % and 75 % of neuroblastoma tumors, respectively. VMAT1 and VMAT2 scores were both significantly lower in MYCN amplified tumors and in tumors with high mitotic karyorrhectic index. MIBG-avid tumors had significantly higher VMAT2 scores than MIBG-nonavid tumors (median 216 vs. 45; p = 0.04). VMAT1 expression did not correlate with MIBG avidity. VMAT1 and VMAT2 are expressed in the majority of neuroblastomas. Expression correlates with other biological features. The expression level of VMAT2 but not that of VMAT1 correlates with avidity for MIBG. (orig.)

In spite the close association of the triple-negative breast cancer immunophenotype with hereditary breast cancers and the BRCA1 pathway, there is a lack of population studies that determine the frequency of BRCA1 mutations among triple-negative breast cancer patients. To address this, we have screened a large sample of 403 women diagnosed with triple-negative invasive breast cancer, independently of their age or family history, for germline BRCA1 mutations. Median age at diagnosis was 50 years (range 20-83). The overall prevalence of triple-negative cases among the initial patient group with invasive breast cancer was 8%. BRCA1 was screened by direct DNA sequencing in all patients, including all exons where a mutation was previously found in the Greek population (exons 5, 11, 12, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24-77% of the BRCA1 coding region), including diagnostic PCRs to detect the three Greek founder large genomic rearrangements. Sixty-five deleterious BRCA1 mutations were identified among the 403 triple-negative breast cancer patients (16%). Median age of onset for mutation carriers was 39 years. Among a total of 106 women with early-onset triple-negative breast cancer (<40 years), 38 (36%) had a BRCA1 mutation, while 27% of women with triple-negative breast cancer diagnosed before 50 years (56/208) had a BRCA1 mutation. A mutation was found in 48% (50/105) of the triple-negative breast cancer patients with family history of breast or ovarian cancer. It is noteworthy, however, that of the 65 carriers, 15 (23%) had no reported family history of related cancers. All but one of the carriers had grade III tumors (98%). These results indicate that women with early-onset triple-negative breast cancer, and ideally all triple-negative breast cancer patients, are candidates for BRCA1 genetic testing even in the absence of a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

Success in improving treatment outcomes in childhood cancer has been achieved almost exclusively through multicenter and multidisciplinary clinical and applied research over several decades. While biologically rational as well as empirical approaches have led to combination chemotherapy and multimodality approaches to therapy, which have given rise to evidence-based practice standards, similar scientific rigor has not always been as evidently applied to modalities utilized to assess initial disease burden and, more important, response to investigational approaches to therapy. As the empirical approach to therapeutic advances has likely maximized its benefit, future progress will require translation of biologic discovery most notably from the areas of genomics and proteomics. Hence, attempts to improve efficacy of therapy will require a parallel effort to minimize collateral damage of future therapeutic approaches, and such a parallel approach will mandate the continued dependence on advances in diagnostic imaging for improvements in staging methodologies to best define risk groups for risk-adjusted therapy. In addition, anatomic and functional assessment of response and surveillance for disease recurrence will require improved understanding of the biology as well as natural history of individual diseases, which one hopes will better inform investigators in designing trials. Clinical and research expertise is urgently needed in the selection of specific imaging studies and frequencies that best assess a response as well as to define disease-free intervals. Despite limited resources to develop sufficient infrastructure, emphasis on enabling early assessment of new technology to minimize risks associated with treatment advances and with those critical diagnostic and staging procedures must continue to be a focus of pediatric cancer clinical research. (orig.)

Integrative oncology, the diagnosis-specific field of integrative medicine, addresses symptom control with nonpharmacologic therapies. Known commonly as "complementary therapies" these are evidence-based adjuncts to mainstream care that effectively control physical and emotional symptoms, enhance physical and emotional strength, and provide patients with skills enabling them to help themselves throughout and following mainstream cancer treatment. Integrative or complementary therapies are rational and noninvasive. They have been subjected to study to determine their value, to document the problems they ameliorate, and to define the circumstances under which such therapies are beneficial. Conversely, "alternative" therapies typically are promoted literally as such; as actual antitumor treatments. They lack biologic plausibility and scientific evidence of safety and efficacy. Many are outright fraudulent. Conflating these two very different categories by use of the convenient acronym "CAM," for "complementary and alternative therapies," confuses the issue and does a substantial disservice to patients and medical professionals. Complementary and integrative modalities have demonstrated safety value and benefits. If the same were true for "alternatives," they would not be "alternatives." Rather, they would become part of mainstream cancer care. This manuscript explores the medical and sociocultural context of interest in integrative oncology as well as in "alternative" therapies, reviews commonly-asked patient questions, summarizes research results in both categories, and offers recommendations to help guide patients and family members through what is often a difficult maze. Combining complementary therapies with mainstream oncology care to address patients' physical, psychologic and spiritual needs constitutes the practice of integrative oncology. By recommending nonpharmacologic modalities that reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life, physicians also enable

Full Text Available Neurologic side effects related to cancer therapy are a common problem in oncology practice. These complications can negatively affect the management of the patient, because they can inhibit treatment and diminish quality of life. Therefore specific skills are required to recognise symptoms and clinical manifestations. This review focuses on the most common neurologic complications to improve physician’s familiarity in determining the aetiology of these symptoms.

Full Text Available The PI3K-AKT pathway is frequently activated in breast cancer. PIK3CA mutations are most frequently found in the helical (exon 9 and kinase (exon 20 domains of this protein. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of different types of PIK3CA mutations in combination with molecular biomarkers related to PI3K-AKT signaling in patients with early breast cancer.Tumor tissue samples from 1008 early breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy in two similar randomized trials of HeCOG were examined. Tumors were subtyped with immunohistochemistry (IHC and FISH for ER, PgR, Ki67, HER2 and androgen receptor (AR. PIK3CA mutations were analyzed by Sanger sequencing (exon 20 and qPCR (exon 9 (Sanger/qPCR mutations. In 610 cases, next generation sequencing (NGS PIK3CA mutation data were also available. PIK3CA mutations and PTEN protein expression (IHC were analyzed in luminal tumors (ER and/or PgR positive, molecular apocrine carcinomas (MAC; ER/PgR negative / AR positive and hormone receptor (ER/PgR/AR negative tumors.PIK3CA mutations were detected in 235/1008 tumors (23% with Sanger/qPCR and in 149/610 tumors (24% with NGS. Concordance between the two methods was good with a Kappa coefficient of 0.76 (95% CI 0.69-0.82. Lobular histology, low tumor grade and luminal A tumors were associated with helical domain mutations (PIK3CAhel, while luminal B with kinase domain mutations (PIK3CAkin. The overall incidence of PIK3CA mutations was higher in luminal as compared to MAC and hormone receptor negative tumors (p = 0.004. Disease-free and overall survival did not significantly differ with respect to PIK3CA mutation presence and type. However, a statistically significant interaction between PIK3CA mutation status and PTEN low protein expression with regard to prognosis was identified.The present study did not show any prognostic significance of specific PIK3CA mutations in a large group of predominantly lymph-node positive breast cancer

To evaluate the outcomes with respect to long-term survival and toxicity in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated in a European country with low incidence. A prospective observational study carried out by the AIRO Head and Neck group in 12 Italian institutions included 136 consecutive patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) ± chemotherapy (CHT) for NPC (without distant metastasis) between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010. The disease-specific survival (DSS), overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years were 92 (±2), 91 (±3), and 69 % (±5 %), respectively. Distant failure was the most frequent modality of relapse. The local, regional, and locoregional control at 5 years were 89 (±3), 93 (±3), and 84 % (±4 %), respectively. The incidence of acute and late toxicity and the correlations with different clinical/technical variables were analyzed. Neoadjuvant CHT prolongs radiotherapy overall treatment time (OTT) and decreases treatment adherence during concomitant chemoradiotherapy. An adequate minimum dose coverage to PTV(T) is a predictive variable well related to outcome. Our data do not substantially differ in terms of survival and toxicity outcomes from those reported in larger series of patients treated in countries with higher incidences of NPC. The T stage (TNM 2002 UICC classification) is predictive of DSS and OS. The GTV volume (T ± N) and an adequate minimum PTV(T) coverage dose (D95 %) were also identified as potential predictive variables. Sophisticated technologies of dose delivery (IMRT) with image-guided radiotherapy could help to obtain better minimum PTV(T) coverage dose with increased DFS; distant metastasis after treatment still remains an unresolved issue. (orig.) [German] Bewertung von langfristigem Ueberleben und Toxizitaet bei Patienten mit Nasopharynxkarzinom (NPC), die in einem europaeischen Land mit geringer Inzidenz behandelt wurden. Die prospektive Beobachtungsanalyse, durchgefuehrt von der

the group of completely resected stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC) is considered to be heterogeneous in various aspects including survival and the recurrent pattern. In the present study, we attempted to clarify the factors which separate these patients into high and low risk groups based on the survival and local recurrence. a questionnaire survey on the survival and local recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer patients with pathological stage IIIA-N2 disease who underwent a complete resection from January 1992 to December 1993 was performed by the Japan Clinical OncologyGroup as of July 1999. The information on the survival of 406 patients and that of local recurrence in 332 of them was available. the 5-year survival of the 406 patients was 31.0%. In a univariate analysis, the age, clinical and pathological T status, number of N2 stations, pathological N1 disease, operative modality and postoperative radiotherapy were all found to be important prognostic factors. Clinical N2 disease marginally influenced the survival (P=0.07). In a multivariate analysis of these variables including clinical N2 disease, the survival was significantly worse in the case of multiple N2 stations (hazard ratio=1.741), the presence of pathological N1 disease (1.403), pathological T2 or 3 disease (1.399) and an age older than 65 (1.327). The rate of freedom from any local recurrence at the bronchial stump, or in the hilar, mediastinal or supraclavicular lymph nodes at 5 years was 64%. In a univariate analysis of the freedom from local recurrence, the clinical N status, pathological T status, pathological N1 disease and number of N2 stations were all found to be important prognostic factors. A multivariate analysis revealed the freedom from local recurrence to be adversely influenced by multiple N2 stations (hazard ratio=2.05), and the presence of either clinical N1 or 2 (1.733) disease. The 5-year survival and the rate of freedom from local recurrence at 5

The bone marrow plasma cell labeling index (PCLI) as measured by bromodeoxyuridine uptake is a well-established independent prognostic factor for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, but the test is not easily done in most laboratories. The purpose of this study was to determine if the proliferative activity (% S-phase) as determined by two-color flow cytometry for cytoplasmic immunoglobulin (cIg) light chain and DNA content also had prognostic significance. As part of Eastern Cooperative OncologyGroup clinical trial E9486, 500 patients had successful performance of the bone marrow PCLI. Of 349 patients who had flow cIg and DNA content cytometry, 210 had adequate data to reliably calculate S-phase %. Patients with low % S-phase fraction (/=2%), median survivals 4.1 vs. 2.9 years (P = 0.032). Measurement of the S-phase % by flow cytometry gives significant prognostic information in patients with newly diagnosed myeloma. However, in multivariate analysis, S-phase % did not add prognostic information when PCLI was in the model. S-phase % added prognostic information only when all cases with flow measurement of S-phase % were included, and when PCLI was excluded from the model. Discriminating a population of only cIg positive cells proved difficult in patients with a low percentage of bone marrow plasma cells. Methodology to measure S-phase % in patients with a low percent plasma cells is needed before this technique can be used for diagnosis and prognosis in myeloma. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that medical student radiation oncology elective rotation grades are inflated and cannot be used to distinguish residency applicants. Methods and Materials: The records of 196 applicants to a single radiation oncology residency program in 2011 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. The grades for each rotation in radiation oncology were collected and converted to a standardized 4-point grading scale (honors, high pass, pass, fail). Pass/fail grades were scored as not applicable. The primary study endpoint was to compare the distribution of applicants' grades in radiation oncology with their grades in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology core clerkships. Results: The mean United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 score of the applicants was 237 (range, 188-269), 43% had additional Masters or PhD degrees, and 74% had at least 1 publication. Twenty-nine applicants were graded for radiation oncology rotations on a pass/fail basis and were excluded from the final analysis. Of the remaining applicants (n=167), 80% received the highest possible grade for their radiation oncology rotations. Grades in radiation oncology were significantly higher than each of the other 4 clerkships studied (Poncology residency. Higher grades in radiation oncology were associated with significantly higher grades in the pediatrics core clerkship (P=.002). However, other medical school performance metrics were not significantly associated with higher grades in radiation oncology. Conclusions: Although our study group consists of a selected group of radiation oncology applicants, their grades in radiation oncology clerkships were highly skewed toward the highest grades when compared with grades in other core clerkships. Student grading in radiation oncology clerkships should be re-evaluated to incorporate more objective and detailed performance metrics to allow for

In The Netherlands, since September 2003, a legal medicinal cannabis product, constituting the whole range of cannabinoids, is available for clinical research, drug development strategies, and on prescription for patients. To date, this policy, initiated by the Dutch Government, has not yet led to the desired outcome; the amount of initiated clinical research is less than expected and only a minority of patients resorts to the legal product. This review aims to discuss the background for the introduction of legal medicinal cannabis in The Netherlands, the past years of Dutch clinical experience in oncology practice, possible reasons underlying the current outcome, and future perspectives.

... rehabilitation or in the aftercare are still missing. The ProRehab Project aims to establish rehabilitative sports groups particularly for prostate cancer patients and to evaluate the effects of the offered exercise program...

Cambodia, a country of 14 million inhabitants, was devastated during the Khmer Rouge period and thereafter. The resources of treatment are rare: only one radiotherapy department, renovated in 2003, with an old cobalt machine; few surgeons trained to operate on cancer patients; no hematology; no facilities to use intensive chemotherapy; no nuclear medicine department and no palliative care unit. Cervical cancer incidence is one of the highest in the world, while in men liver cancer ranks first (20% of all male cancers). Cancers are seen at stage 3 or 4 for 70% of patients. There is no prevention program - only a vaccination program against hepatitis B for newborns - and no screening program for cervical cancer or breast cancer. In 2010, oncology, recognized as a full specialty, was created to train the future oncologists on site at the University of Phnom Penh. A new National Cancer Center will be built in 2013 with modern facilities for radiotherapy, medical oncology, hematology and nuclear medicine. Cooperation with foreign countries, especially France, and international organizations has been established and is ongoing. Progress is occurring slowly due to the shortage of money for Cambodian institutions and the lay public.

This book concisely reviews our current understanding of hypoxia, molecular targeting, DNA repair, cancer stem cells, and tumor pathophysiology, while also discussing novel strategies for putting these findings into practice in daily clinical routine. Radiotherapy is an important part of modern multimodal cancer treatment, and the past several years have witnessed not only substantial improvements in radiation techniques and the use of new beam qualities, but also major strides in our understanding of molecular tumor biology and tumor radiation response. Against this backdrop, the book highlights recent efforts to identify reasonable and clinically applicable biomarkers using broad-spectrum tissue microarrays and high-throughput systems biology approaches like genomics and epigenomics. In particular, it describes in detail how such molecular information is now being exploited for diagnostic imaging and imaging throughout treatment using the example of positron emission tomography. By discussing all these issues in the context of modern radiation oncology, the book provides a broad, up-to-date overview of the molecular aspects of radiation oncology that will hopefully foster its further optimization.

Although treatment regimen have improved in the last few years, prostate cancer patients following a radical prostatectomy still experience severe disease- and treatment-related side effects, including urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and psychological issues. Despite high incidence rates and the common adverse effects there is a lack of supportive measures for male patients and specific physical exercise recommendations for prostate cancer patients during rehabilitation or in the aftercare are still missing. The ProRehab Project aims to establish rehabilitative sports groups particularly for prostate cancer patients and to evaluate the effects of the offered exercise program. Starting 8-12 weeks after prostatectomy or combination therapy, prostate cancer patients will exercise for 15 months within a patient preference randomized controlled trial. One exercise session will be conducted within a pre-established rehabilitative sports group, while the other will be completed independently. Patients in the control group will not participate in the intervention. The main outcomes of the study include aerobic fitness, quality of life, incontinence and erectile dysfunction. By combining science, practice, and public relations the first rehabilitative sports groups for prostate cancer patients in Germany have been set up and thus contribute to the care structure for prostate cancer patients. By offering a 15-month physical exercise intervention that is conducted in supervised group sessions, long-term lifestyle changes and therefore improvements in quality of life in prostate cancer patients can be expected. German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00004184.

Review question/objective The objective of this review is to identify the meaningfulness of participating in support groups for informal caregivers of older adults with dementia living in their own home. More specifically, the review question is: How do informal caregivers of older adults...... with dementia, living in urban and rural settings, perceive the meaningfulness of participating in support groups? Inclusion Criteria Types of participant(s) This review will consider studies that include informal caregivers of older adults aged 65 years and older with dementia, regardless of the severity...... that investigate how the informal caregivers of older adults with dementia, living in urban or rural settings perceive the meaningfulness of participating in support groups. The phenomenon of interest will consider studies that include informal caregivers, aged 18 years and older, who are caring for an older adult...

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) with comorbid avoidant personality disorder (APD) has a high prevalence and is associated with serious psychosocial problems and high societal costs. When patients suffer from both SAD and APD, the Dutch multidisciplinary guidelines for personality disorders advise offering prolonged cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Recently there is increasing evidence for the effectiveness of schema therapy (ST) for personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder and cluster C personality disorders. Since ST addresses underlying personality characteristics and maladaptive coping strategies developed in childhood, this treatment might be particularly effective for patients with SAD and comorbid APD. To our knowledge, there are no studies comparing CBT with ST in this particular group of patients. This superiority trial aims at comparing the effectiveness of these treatments. As an additional goal, predictors and underlying mechanisms of change will be explored. The design of the study is a multicentre two-group randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which the treatment effect of group cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) will be compared to that of group schema therapy (GST) in a semi-open group format. A total of 128 patients aged 18-65 years old will be enrolled. Patients will receive 30 sessions of GCBT or GST during a period of approximately 9 months. Primary outcome measures are the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Self-Report (LSAS-SR) for social anxiety disorder and the newly developed Avoidant Personality Disorder Severity Index (AVPDSI) for avoidant personality disorder. Secondary outcome measures are the MINI section SAD, the SCID-II section APD, the Schema Mode Inventory (SMI-2), the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (IDS-SR), the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Acceptance and Action

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although treatment regimen have improved in the last few years, prostate cancer patients following a radical prostatectomy still experience severe disease- and treatment-related side effects, including urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and psychological issues. Despite high incidence rates and the common adverse effects there is a lack of supportive measures for male patients and specific physical exercise recommendations for prostate cancer patients during rehabilitation or in the aftercare are still missing. Methods/Design The ProRehab Project aims to establish rehabilitative sports groups particularly for prostate cancer patients and to evaluate the effects of the offered exercise program. Starting 8–12 weeks after prostatectomy or combination therapy, prostate cancer patients will exercise for 15 months within a patient preference randomized controlled trial. One exercise session will be conducted within a pre-established rehabilitative sports group, while the other will be completed independently. Patients in the control group will not participate in the intervention. The main outcomes of the study include aerobic fitness, quality of life, incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Discussion By combining science, practice, and public relations the first rehabilitative sports groups for prostate cancer patients in Germany have been set up and thus contribute to the care structure for prostate cancer patients. By offering a 15-month physical exercise intervention that is conducted in supervised group sessions, long-term lifestyle changes and therefore improvements in quality of life in prostate cancer patients can be expected. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00004184

of the disease and the duration of care. The informal caregiver is mainly seen as a family member and care must be performed at home. The review will not differentiate between studies involving subsets of informal caregivers (e.g. based on specific ethnicity, gender and/or specific morbidities of dementia among...... with dementia, aged 65 years and older, living in their own home. The setting will be all locations where support groups for informal caregivers have been held and studied. Types of outcomes The outcomes of interest include, but are not restricted to the following: 1. Subjective accounts of the informal......Review question/objective The objective of this review is to identify the meaningfulness of participating in support groups for informal caregivers of older adults with dementia living in their own home. More specifically, the review question is: How do informal caregivers of older adults...

Purpose: To measure concordance among genitourinary radiation oncologists in using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI CTC) and Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (RTOG) grading scales to grade rectal bleeding. Methods and Materials: From June 2013 to January 2014, a Web-based survey was sent to 250 American and Canadian academic radiation oncologists who treat prostate cancer. Participants were provided 4 case vignettes in which patients received radiation therapy and developed rectal bleeding and were asked for management plans and to rate the bleeding according to NCI CTC v.4 and RTOG late toxicity grading (scales provided). In 2 cases, participants were also asked whether they would send the patient for colonoscopy. A multilevel, random intercept modeling approach was used to assess sources of variation (case, respondent) in toxicity grading to calculate the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement on a dichotomous grading scale (low grades 1-2 vs high grades 3-4) was also assessed, using the κ statistic for multiple respondents. Results: Seventy-two radiation oncologists (28%) completed the survey. Forty-seven (65%) reported having either written or been principal investigator on a study using these scales. Agreement between respondents was moderate (ICC 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.58) when using NCI CTC and fair using the RTOG scale (ICC 0.28, 95% CI 0.20-0.40). Respondents who chose an invasive management were more likely to select a higher toxicity grade (P

Purpose: Patients treated with chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma (LA-NSCLC) were analyzed for local-regional failure (LRF) and overall survival (OS) with respect to radiotherapy dose intensity. Methods and Materials: This study combined data from seven Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (RTOG) trials in which chemoradiotherapy was used for LA-NSCLC: RTOG 88-08 (chemoradiation arm only), 90-15, 91-06, 92-04, 93-09 (nonoperative arm only), 94-10, and 98-01. The radiotherapeutic biologically effective dose (BED) received by each individual patient was calculated, as was the overall treatment time-adjusted BED (tBED) using standard formulae. Heterogeneity testing was done with chi-squared statistics, and weighted pooled hazard ratio estimates were used. Cox and Fine and Gray's proportional hazard models were used for OS and LRF, respectively, to test the associations between BED and tBED adjusted for other covariates. Results: A total of 1,356 patients were analyzed for BED (1,348 for tBED). The 2-year and 5-year OS rates were 38% and 15%, respectively. The 2-year and 5-year LRF rates were 46% and 52%, respectively. The BED (and tBED) were highly significantly associated with both OS and LRF, with or without adjustment for other covariates on multivariate analysis (p < 0.0001). A 1-Gy BED increase in radiotherapy dose intensity was statistically significantly associated with approximately 4% relative improvement in survival; this is another way of expressing the finding that the pool-adjusted hazard ratio for survival as a function of BED was 0.96. Similarly, a 1-Gy tBED increase in radiotherapy dose intensity was statistically significantly associated with approximately 3% relative improvement in local-regional control; this is another way of expressing the finding that the pool-adjusted hazard ratio as a function of tBED was 0.97. Conclusions: Higher radiotherapy dose intensity is associated with improved local-regional control

Full Text Available Procrastination is defined as a voluntarily delay of an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse-off for the delay, and is considered a persistent behavior pattern that can result in major psychological suffering. About one-fifth of the adult population and half of the student population are presumed having substantial difficulties due to recurrent procrastination in their everyday lives. However, chronic and severe procrastinators seldom receive adequate care due to preconceptions and the lack of understanding regarding procrastination and the treatment interventions that are assumed beneficial. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is often deemed a treatment of choice, although the evidence supporting its use is scarce, and only one randomized controlled trial has been performed. The primary aim of the proposed study is therefore to test the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy delivered as either a group intervention or via the Internet. Participants will consist of students recruited through the Student Health Centre at Karolinska Institutet. A randomized controlled trial with a sample size of 100 participants divided into blocks of thirty will be used, comparing an eight-week Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention, and an eight-week group cognitive-behavioral therapy based intervention. It is believed that the proposed study will result in two important findings. First, different treatment interventions in cognitive-behavioral therapy are assumed to be helpful for people suffering from problems caused by procrastination. Second, both an Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention and a group intervention are presumed suitable for administering treatment for procrastination, which is considered important as the availability of adequate care is limited, particularly among students. The proposed study will increase the knowledge regarding the efficacy of different treatments of procrastination, as well

With chapters on free boundaries, constitutive equations, stochastic dynamics, nonlinear diffusion–consumption, structured populations, and applications of optimal control theory, this volume presents the most significant recent results in the field of mathematical oncology. It highlights the work of world-class research teams, and explores how different researchers approach the same problem in various ways. Tumors are complex entities that present numerous challenges to the mathematical modeler. First and foremost, they grow. Thus their spatial mean field description involves a free boundary problem. Second, their interiors should be modeled as nontrivial porous media using constitutive equations. Third, at the end of anti-cancer therapy, a small number of malignant cells remain, making the post-treatment dynamics inherently stochastic. Fourth, the growth parameters of macroscopic tumors are non-constant, as are the parameters of anti-tumor therapies. Changes in these parameters may induce phenomena that a...

National insurance companies in Germany support health cures for patients with malignant tumors (malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell tumor, malignant cutaneous lymphoma). The clinical requirements are an invasively growing tumor, problems of self-assurance, and dis-integration of the patient regarding his social and/or professional environment. The decision for a health cure is made by the treating dermatologist in the hospital. In this context, the following sociomedical criteria should be applied: impairment, disability, and handicap. Usually, rehabilitation starts after the patient is discharged from the hospital. The inpatient rehabilitation program should be performed at an institution capable of providing dermatological and psychological treatment. The dermatologist acts as a manager for the members of the rehabilitation team (psychologists, physiotherapists, social workers, and ergo-therapists). In conclusion, dermato-oncologic rehabilitation plays an important role in re-integrating the patient into his professional life to avoid retirement.

The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend previous findings; further demonstrating the effectiveness of an ACT outpatient, group-based treatment for Veterans who suffer from mixed idiopathic, chronic, non-cancer pain. This course of treatment utilized the VA's Stepped Care Model of Pain Management as a framework. A sample of 50 Veterans who participated in an ACT for chronic pain group intervention was evaluated after completing a pain health education program at a Midwestern VA Medical Center between February 16, 2010 and November 9, 2010. All participants completed a standard set of pre- and post-intervention measures. Paired-samples t tests were conducted to evaluate the impact of the manualized intervention on Veterans' scores. The current study found a significant difference in measures of pain interference, illness-focused coping, and global distress upon completion of the intervention. Findings suggest that ACT is an effective treatment for Veterans with chronic pain as a secondary consultative service.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Insight is impaired in a majority of people with schizophrenia. Impaired insight is associated with poorer outcomes of the disorder. Based on existing literature, we developed a model that explains which processes may possibly play a role in impaired insight. This model was the starting point of the development of REFLEX: a brief psychosocial intervention to improve insight in schizophrenia. REFLEX is a 12-sessions group training, consisting of three modules of four sessions each. Modules in this intervention are: "coping with stigma", "you and your personal narrative", and "you in the present". Methods/Design REFLEX is currently evaluated in a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Eight mental health institutions in the Netherlands participate in this evaluation. Patients are randomly assigned to either REFLEX or an active control condition, existing of cognitive remediation exercises in a group. In a subgroup of patients, fMRI scans are made before and after training in order to assess potential haemodynamic changes associated with the effects of the training. Discussion REFLEX is one of the few interventions aiming specifically to improving insight in schizophrenia and has potential value for improving insight. Targeting insight in schizophrenia is a complex task, that comes with several methodological issues. These issues are addressed in the discussion of this paper. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN50247539

Despite high rates of antenatal care and relatively good access to health facilities, maternal and neonatal mortality remain high in Bangladesh. There is an immediate need for implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective interventions to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of the intervention namely Group Prenatal Care (GPC) on utilization of standard number of antenatal care, post natal care including skilled birth attendance and institutional deliveries instead of usual care. The study is quasi-experimental in design. We aim to recruit 576 pregnant women (288 interventions and 288 comparisons) less than 20 weeks of gestational age. The intervention will be delivered over around 6 months. The outcome measure is the difference in maternal service coverage including ANC and PNC coverage, skilled birth attendance and institutional deliveries between the intervention and comparison group. Findings from the research will contribute to improve maternal and newborn outcome in our existing health system. Findings of the research can be used for planning a new strategy and improving the health outcome for Bangladeshi women. Finally addressing the maternal health goal, this study is able to contribute to strengthening health system.

The risk of dying from different causes after Hodgkin's disease (HD) therapy has been quantified from a series of 1,449 patients with early stages included in four successive clinical trials conducted by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Lymphoma Cooperative Group since 1963. Overall, 240 patients died and the 15-year survival rate was 69% whereas the expected rate was 95%. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) technique was used to quantify excess deaths as a function of time since first therapy. At each interval, SMR was significantly increased, giving: 0-3 year, 8.86 (p less than 0.001); 4-6 year, 9.25 (p less than 0.001); 7-9 year, 7.08 (p less than 0.001); 10-12 year, 9.53 (p less than 0.001); 13-15 year, 4.37 (p less than 0.01); and 16+ years, 3.80 (p less than 0.05). While the proportion of deaths as a consequence of HD progression, treatment side-effect, and intercurrent disease decreased with time, that of second cancer and cardiac failure peaked during the 10-12 year post-treatment interval. After 15 years of follow-up, the risk of dying from causes other than HD continued to increase. These findings indicate that although probably cured from HD, patients are at higher risk for death than expected, a risk that might be a consequence of therapy.

The strategy of World Wide Web searching for medical sites was presented in this article. The "deep web" and "surface web" resources were searched. The 10 best sites connected with the gynecological oncology, according to authors' opinion, were presented.

Minimizing toxicity while maximizing efficacy is a common goal in the treatment of any condition but its importance is underscored in the discipline of oncology because of the serious nature of many...

During the past decade, biomedical technologies have undergone an explosive evolution---from the publication of the first complete human genome in 2003, after more than a decade of effort and at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars---to the present time, where a complete genomic sequence can be available in less than a day and at a small fraction of the cost of the original sequence. The widespread availability of next generation genomic sequencing has opened the door to the development of precision oncology. The need to test multiple new targeted agents both alone and in combination with other targeted therapies, as well as classic cytotoxic agents, demand the development of novel therapeutic platforms (particularly Master Protocols) capable of efficiently and effectively testing multiple targeted agents or targeted therapeutic strategies in relatively small patient subpopulations. Here, we describe the Master Protocol concept, with a focus on the expected gains and complexities of the use of this design. An overview of Master Protocols currently active or in development is provided along with a more extensive discussion of the Lung Master Protocol (Lung-MAP study). PMID:26433553

In this era of globalization and rapid advances in radiation oncology worldwide, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is committed to help decrease profound regional disparities through the work of the International Education Subcommittee (IES). The IES has expanded its base, reach, and activities to foster educational advances through a variety of educational methods with broad scope, in addition to committing to the advancement of radiation oncology care for cancer patients around the world, through close collaboration with our sister radiation oncology societies and other educational, governmental, and organizational groups.

As in some other chronic diseases (rheumatism, multiple sclerosis, etc.), unproven methods of diagnosis and treatment have long been current in cancer. Since 1960 the American Cancer Society has published an abundant literature on these "unproven methods", which serves as a basis for a historical review: some substances (Krebiozen, Laetrile) have enjoyed tremendous if shortlived success. The present trend is back to nature and "mild medicine". The proponents of this so-called natural medicine are often disciples of a pseudoscientific religion using irrational arguments. Direct attacks on these erroneous theories and their public refutation fail to convince the adepts, who trust in these methods and are not amenable to a scientific approach. Study of their psychological motivations reveals that in fact they seek something more reassuring than plain medical explanation which is aware of its limits. They feel reassured by theories which often bear some resemblance to the old popular medicine. To protect patients against these dangerous methods and all the disillusionment they entail, the Swiss Society of Oncology and the Swiss Cancer League have decided to gather information and draw up a descriptive list of the commonest unproven methods in Switzerland (our File No. 2, "Total anti-cancer cure", is given as an example). The files are published in French, German and English and are available to physicians, nursing teams, and also patients who wish to have more objective information on these methods.

Economic aspects require consideration even in oncology. However, they have to be seen in context with open questions concerning especially the evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness, of methodology, and particularly of ethics. Medical procedures and achievements should primarily be measured against objective results, against effectiveness and benefits. Consequently, the suitability of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies has to be evaluated. Overall objective of medical achievements should be their optimalization, not their maximization. For a physician being aware of his responsibility, the optimal care for his patients always has highest priority. Medical guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up are the basis for effective and economic patient care. They have to undergo economic evaluation and permanent updating. For systematic collection, documentation and evaluation, the clinical register is the appropriate instrument. For the assessment of medical care, a continuous monitoring of its processes has to be established. The documentation of medical care processes should lead to sustainable cost reductions together with an optimalization of the quality of care.

Full Text Available Nutritional supplements are widely used among patients with cancer who perceive them to be anticancer and antitoxicity agents. Depending on the type of malignancy and the gender 30%–90% of the cancer patients supplement their diets with antioxidant and immuno-stabilizing micronutrients, such as selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin D, often without the knowledge of the treating physician. From the oncological viewpoint, there are justifiable concerns that dietary supplements decrease the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Recent studies, however, have provided increasing evidence that treatment is tolerated better—with an increase in patient compliance and a lower rate of treatment discontinuations—when micronutrients, such as selenium, are added as appropriate to the patient’s medication. Nutritional supplementation tailored to an individual’s background diet, genetics, tumor histology, and treatments may yield benefits in subsets of patients. Clinicians should have an open dialogue with patients about nutritional supplements. Supplement advice needs to be individualized and come from a credible source, and it is best communicated by the physician.

The Scandinavian Sarcoma Group (SSG) XIV protocol is based on experience from previous SSG trials and other osteosarcoma intergroup trials, and has been considered the best standard of care for patients with extremity localized, non-metastatic osteosarcoma. We analyzed the outcome in 63 consecutive patients. Patients and methods From 2001 through 2005, 63 patients recruited from centers in Sweden, Norway, and Finland were included. They received preoperative chemotherapy consisting of 2 cycles of paired methotrexate (12 g/m²), cisplatin (90 mg/m²), and doxorubicin (75 mg/m²). 3 cycles were administered postoperatively, and poor histological responders were given 3 additional cycles of ifosfamide (10-12 g/m²) as a salvage strategy. With a median follow-up of 77 months for survivors, the estimated metastasis-free and sarcoma-related survival at 5 years was 70% and 76%, respectively. 53 patients were treated with limb salvage surgery or rotationplasty and 2 patients experienced a local recurrence. 3 toxic deaths were recorded, all related to acute toxicity from chemotherapy. The 5-year metastasis-free survival of poor histological responders receiving add-on treatment with ifosfamide was 47%, as compared to 89% for good histological responders. Outcome from the SSG XIV protocol compares favorably with the results of previous SSG trials and other published osteosarcoma trials. However, salvage therapy given to poor responders did not improve outcome to a similar degree as for good responders. In a multi-institutional setting, more than four-fifths of the patients were operated with limb salvage surgery or rotationplasty, with few local recurrences.

The ancient system of Kundalini Yoga (KY) includes a vast array of meditation techniques. Some were discovered to be specific for treating psychiatric disorders and others are supposedly beneficial for treating cancers. To date, 2 clinical trials have been conducted for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The first was an open uncontrolled trial and the second a single-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing a KY protocol against the Relaxation Response and Mindfulness Meditation (RRMM) techniques combined. Both trials showed efficacy on all psychological scales using the KY protocol; however, the RCT showed no efficacy on any scale with the RRMM control group. The KY protocol employed an OCD-specific meditation technique combined with other techniques that are individually specific for anxiety, low energy, fear, anger, meeting mental challenges, and turning negative thoughts into positive thoughts. In addition to OCD symptoms, other symptoms, including anxiety and depression, were also significantly reduced. Elements of the KY protocol other than the OCD-specific technique also may have applications for psycho-oncology patients and are described here. Two depression-specific KY techniques are described that also help combat mental fatigue and low energy. A 7-part protocol is described that would be used in KY practice to affect the full spectrum of emotions and distress that complicate a cancer diagnosis. In addition, there are KY techniques that practitioners have used in treating cancer. These techniques have not yet been subjected to formal clinical trials but are described here as potential adjunctive therapies. A case history demonstrating rapid onset of acute relief of intense fear in a terminal breast cancer patient using a KY technique specific for fear is presented. A second case history is reported for a surviving male diagnosed in 1988 with terminal prostate cancer who has used KY therapy long term as part of a self

BACKGROUND: The focus of Specialized Palliative Care (SPC) is to improve care for patients with incurable diseases and their families, which includes the opportunity to make their own choice of place of care and ultimately place of death. The Danish Palliative Care Trial (DOMUS) aims to investigate...... whether an accelerated transition process from oncological treatment to continuing SPC at home for patients with incurable cancer results in more patients reaching their preferred place of care and death. The SPC in this trial is enriched with a manualized psychological intervention. METHODS/DESIGN: DOMUS...... is a controlled randomized clinical trial with a balanced parallel-group randomization (1:1). The planned sample size is 340 in- and outpatients treated at the Department of Oncology at Copenhagen University Hospital. Patients are randomly assigned either to: a) standard care plus SPC enriched with a standardized...

CenteringPregnancy (CP) is a multifaceted group based care-model integrated in routine prenatal care, combining health assessment, education, and support. CP has shown some positive results on perinatal outcomes. However, the effects are less obvious when limited to the results of randomized controlled trials: as there are few trials and there is a variation in reported outcomes. Furthermore, former research was mostly conducted in the United States of America and in specific (often high risk) populations. Our study aims to evaluate the effects of CP in the Netherlands in a general population of pregnant women (low and high risk). Furthermore we aim to explore the mechanisms leading to the eventual effects by measuring potential mediating factors. We will perform a stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial, in a Western region in the Netherlands. Inclusion criteria are control period will receive individual care, women in the intervention period (starting at the randomized time-point) will be offered the choice between individual care or CP. Primary outcomes are maternal and neonatal morbidity, retrieved from a national routine database. Secondary outcomes are health behavior, psychosocial outcomes, satisfaction, health care utilization and process outcomes, collected through self-administered questionnaires, group-evaluations and individual interviews. We will conduct intention-to-treat analyses. Also a per protocol analysis will be performed comparing the three subgroups: control group, CP-participants and non-CP-participants, using multilevel techniques to account for clustering effects. This study contributes to the evidence regarding the effect of CP and gives a first indication of the effect and implementation of CP in both low and high-risk pregnancies in a high-income Western society other than the USA. Also, measuring factors that are hypothesized to mediate the effect of CP will enable to explain the mechanisms that lead to effects on maternal and

Here we report the long-term results of the DCLSG protocols ALL-6 and -7 with special emphasis on the incidence of CNS relapse after treatment without cranial irradiation. In DCLSG protocol ALL-6 (1984-1988), designed for patients with ALL non-high risk (ALL-NHR) (WBC

The Network Time Protocol is being used throughout the Internet to provide an accurate time service. The security requirements are examined of such a service, version 2 of the NTP protocol is analyzed to determine how well it meets these requirements, and improvements are suggested where appropriate.

features of inflammatory bowel disease. Method: the sample included 57 patients with inflammatory bowel disease from the Spanish Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Association. The sample was randomly assigned to one of the two experimental groups -33 were assigned to the treatment group, and 24 were assigned to the waiting list control group. Results: the results reflected a significant clinical and statistical improvement in anxiety (p < 0.001 and depression (p < 0.001 variables when compared to the waiting list control group. Likewise, improvement was sustained at 3, 6, and 12 months during follow-up. Conclusion: the protocolized psychological treatment program, administered in group sessions, is effective in reducing emotional symptoms arising as a result of inflammatory bowel disease.

Infections remain a serious complication in pediatric oncology patients. To determine if daily bathing with Chlorhexidine gluconate can decrease the rate of nosocomial infection in pediatric oncology patients, we reviewed rates of infections in pediatric oncology patients over a 14-month span. Intervention group received daily bath with Chlorhexidine, while the control group did not receive daily bath. The results showed that daily bath with antiseptic chlorhexidine as daily prophylactic antiseptic topical wash leads to decreased infection density amongst the pediatric oncology patients, especially in patients older than 12 years of age. Furthermore, daily chlorhexidine bathing significantly reduced the rate of hospital acquired infection in patients older than 12 years of age. The findings of this study suggest that daily bathing with chlorhexidine may be an effective measure of reducing nosocomial infection in pediatric oncology patients.

The use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in oncological patients may reduce their reproductive potential. Sperm cryopreservation has been already used in men affected by neoplastic disease. Oocyte cryopreservation might be an important solution for these patients at risk of losing ovarian function. A program of oocyte cryopreservation for oncological patients is also present in our center. From June 1996 to January 2000, 18 patients awaiting chemotherapy and radiotherapy for neoplastic disease were included in our oocyte cryopreservation program. Our experience documents that oocyte storage may be a concrete and pragmatic alternative for oncological patients. The duration of oocyte storage does not seem to interfere with oocyte survival as pregnancies occurred even after several years of gamete cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen.

Personality type influences the choice of occupation. The breadth of specialty areas within oncology nursing allows for divergent activities and relationships and, thus, the accommodation of different personality characteristics. This exploratory study examined personality types for a convenience sample of oncology nurses predominantly employed in hospitals. According to the personality typology defined by Carl Jung, a person demonstrates a preference among four dimensions, i.e., extraversion/introversion, sensory/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. The type with the strongest self-selection for these oncology nurses was ISFJ, where feeling is introverted and perception is practical, so that helping others is both a responsibility and a pleasure. The discussion relates the personality types to Jung's theory and their impact in clinical practice. Strengths and weaknesses of each personality type are described.

The present study uses a within-group controlled design to examine the efficacy and safety of two psychological approaches to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 10 patients with a concurrent psychotic disorder. Patients were randomly assigned either to prolonged exposure (PE; N=5) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR; N=5). Before, during, and after treatment, a total of 20 weekly assessments of PTSD symptoms, hallucinations, and delusions were carried out. Twelve weekly assessments of adverse events took place during the treatment phase. PTSD diagnosis, level of social functioning, psychosis-prone thinking, and general psychopathology were assessed pretreatment, posttreatment, and at three-month follow-up. Throughout the treatment, adverse events were monitored at each session. An intention-to-treat analysis of the 10 patients starting treatment showed that the PTSD treatment protocols of PE and EMDR significantly reduced PTSD symptom severity; PE and EMDR were equally effective and safe. Eight of the 10 patients completed the full intervention period. Seven of the 10 patients (70%) no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD at follow-up. No serious adverse events occurred, nor did patients show any worsening of hallucinations, delusions, psychosis proneness, general psychopathology, or social functioning. The results of this feasibility trial suggest that PTSD patients with comorbid psychotic disorders benefit from trauma-focused treatment approaches such as PE and EMDR.

Traditionally, medical oncology and palliative care have been considered two distinct and separate disciplines, both as regards treatment objectives and delivery times. Palliative care in terminal stages, aimed exclusively at evaluating and improving quality of life, followed antitumor therapies, which concentrated solely on quantitative results (cure, prolongation of life, tumoral mass shrinkage). Over the years, more modern concepts have developed on the subject. Medical oncology, dealing with the skills and strategic co-ordination of oncologic interventions from primary prevention to terminal phases, should also include assessment and treatment of patients' subjective needs. Anticancer therapies should be evaluated in terms of both the quantitative and qualititative impact on patients' lives. Hence, the traditional view of palliative care has to be modified: it constitutes a philosophical and methodological approach to be adopted from the early phases of illness. It is not the evident cultural necessity of integrating medical oncology with palliative medicine that may be a matter of argument, but rather the organizational models needed to put this combined care into practice: should continuous care be guaranteed by a single figure, the medical oncologist, or rather by an interdisciplinary providers' team, including full-time doctors well-equipped for palliative care? In this paper the needs of cancer patients and the part that a complete oncologist should play to deal with such difficult and far-reaching problems are firstly described. Then, as mild provocation, data and critical considerations on the ever increasing needs of palliative care, the present shortcomings in quality of life and pain assessment and management by medical oncologists, and the uncertain efficacy of interventional programmes to change clinical practice are described. Finally, a model of therapeutic continuity is presented. which in our view is realistic and feasible: an Oncologic

To identify ways to improve cancer care for older patients, we set out to examine how older patients in the Netherlands are currently being evaluated prior to oncological treatment and to explore the potential obstacles in the incorporation of a geriatric evaluation, using a web-based survey sent to Dutch medical oncology specialists and oncology nursing specialists. The response rate was 34% (183 out of 544). Two-thirds of respondents reported that a geriatric evaluation was being used, although primarily on an ad hoc basis only. Most respondents expressed a desire for a routine evaluation or more intensive collaboration with the geriatrician and 86% of respondents who were not using a geriatric evaluation expressed their interest to do so. The most important obstacles were a lack of time or personnel and insufficient availability of a geriatrician to perform the assessment. Thus, over 30% of oncology professionals in the Netherlands express an interest in geriatric oncology. Important obstacles to a routine implementation of a geriatric evaluation are a lack of time, or insufficient availability of geriatricians; this could be overcome with policies that acknowledge that quality cancer care for older patients requires the investment of time and personnel.

... HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of the Oncologic Drugs... (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of... plans for four products that are in development for an adult oncology indication. The subcommittee...

... HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of the Oncologic Drugs... (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of... were either recently approved by FDA or, are in late stage development for an adult oncology...

... HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of the Oncologic Drugs... ] (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of... relevance and potential use of such measures in the pediatric development plans of oncology products....

... HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of the Oncologic Drugs... (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of... late stage development for various adult oncology indications. The subcommittee will consider...

... HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of the Oncologic Drugs... (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of..., are in late stage development for an adult oncology indication, or in late stage development...

of the challenges inherent in this new technology, but focus on potential applications for simultaneous PET/MR in the field of oncology. Methods and tracers for use with the PET technology will be familiar to most readers of this journal; thus this paper aims to provide a short and basic introduction to a number...... be applied together with PET increasing the amount of information about the tissues of interest. The potential clinical benefit of applying PET/MR in staging, radiotherapy planning and treatment evaluation in oncology, as well as the research perspectives for the use of PET/MR in the development of new...

The massive global shortfall in radiotherapy equipment and human resources in developing countries is an enormous challenge for international efforts in cancer control. This lack of access to treatment has been long-standing, but there is now a growing consensus about the urgent need to prioritize...... programs. However, formalized training and career promotion tracks in global health within radiation oncology have been slow to emerge, thereby limiting the sustained involvement of students and faculty, and restricting opportunities for leadership in this space. We examine here potential structures...... and funding models might be used to further develop and expand radiation oncology services globally....

of the challenges inherent in this new technology, but focus on potential applications for simultaneous PET/MR in the field of oncology. Methods and tracers for use with the PET technology will be familiar to most readers of this journal; thus this paper aims to provide a short and basic introduction to a number...... be applied together with PET increasing the amount of information about the tissues of interest. The potential clinical benefit of applying PET/MR in staging, radiotherapy planning and treatment evaluation in oncology, as well as the research perspectives for the use of PET/MR in the development of new...

Full Text Available Over the past several years, whenever an informal group of Asian oncology nurses gathered, they talked about their mutual desire to create an organization closer to their homes that would be similar to the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS. They saw this as a means for more of their colleagues to learn about the latest in cancer nursing and to have a time and place to network among themselves. This message continued to gain strength whenever these nurses met at other international meetings such as the International Conference on Cancer Nursing (ICCN, the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC and the Oncology Nursing Society in US. A definite and planned step toward forming an Asian organization as the first meeting was taken on June 24 2011 when several Asian nurses were attending a MASCC meeting in Greece. The second meeting was held in Prague, Czech Republic, in conjunction with the 17 th ICCN meeting on September 10 2012, where the participants of the meeting included 21 oncology nurses from Asian countries. Finally, the first official meeting of the board directors from nine countries was held on November 21 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. Now, and in the future, sharing and collaborating in the practice, education and research for oncology nursing in Asia is needed.

Full Text Available Over the past several years, whenever an informal group of Asian oncology nurses gathered, they talked about their mutual desire to create an organization closer to their homes that would be similar to the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS. They saw this as a means for more of their colleagues to learn about the latest in cancer nursing and to have a time and place to network among themselves. This message continued to gain strength whenever these nurses met at other international meetings such as the International Conference on Cancer Nursing (ICCN, the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC and the Oncology Nursing Society in US. A definite and planned step toward forming an Asian organization as the first meeting was taken on June 24 2011 when several Asian nurses were attending a MASCC meeting in Greece. The second meeting was held in Prague, Czech Republic, in conjunction with the 17 th ICCN meeting on September 10 2012, where the participants of the meeting included 21 oncology nurses from Asian countries. Finally, the first official meeting of the board directors from nine countries was held on November 21 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. Now, and in the future, sharing and collaborating in the practice, education and research for oncology nursing in Asia is needed.

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this individual participant data (IPD meta-analysis is to assess whether the effects of repeat prenatal corticosteroid treatment given to women at risk of preterm birth to benefit their babies are modified in a clinically meaningful way by factors related to the women or the trial protocol. Methods/Design The Prenatal Repeat Corticosteroid International IPD Study Group: assessing the effects using the best level of Evidence (PRECISE Group will conduct an IPD meta-analysis. The PRECISE International Collaborative Group was formed in 2010 and data collection commenced in 2011. Eleven trials with up to 5,000 women and 6,000 infants are eligible for the PRECISE IPD meta-analysis. The primary study outcomes for the infants will be serious neonatal outcome (defined by the PRECISE International IPD Study Group as one of death (foetal, neonatal or infant; severe respiratory disease; severe intraventricular haemorrhage (grade 3 and 4; chronic lung disease; necrotising enterocolitis; serious retinopathy of prematurity; and cystic periventricular leukomalacia; use of respiratory support (defined as mechanical ventilation or continuous positive airways pressure or other respiratory support; and birth weight (Z-scores. For the children, the primary study outcomes will be death or any neurological disability (however defined by trialists at childhood follow up and may include developmental delay or intellectual impairment (developmental quotient or intelligence quotient more than one standard deviation below the mean, cerebral palsy (abnormality of tone with motor dysfunction, blindness (for example, corrected visual acuity worse than 6/60 in the better eye or deafness (for example, hearing loss requiring amplification or worse. For the women, the primary outcome will be maternal sepsis (defined as chorioamnionitis; pyrexia after trial entry requiring the use of antibiotics; puerperal sepsis; intrapartum fever requiring the use

Full Text Available Introduction: Software applications executed on a smart-phone or mobile device (“Apps” are increasingly used by oncologists in their daily work. A comprehensive critical review was conducted on Apps specifically designed for Radiation Oncology, which aims to provide scientific support for these tools and to guide users in choosing the most suited to their needs. Material and methods: A systematic search was conducted in mobile platforms, iOS and Android, returning 157 Apps. Excluding those whose purpose did not match the scope of the study, 31 Apps were methodically analyzed by the following items: Objective Features, List of Functionalities, Consistency in Outcomes and Usability. Results: Apps are presented in groups of features, as Dose Calculators (7 Apps, Clinical Calculators (4, Tools for Staging (7, Multipurpose (7 and Others (6. Each App is presented with the list of attributes and a brief comment. A short summary is provided at the end of each group. Discussion and Recommendations: There are numerous Apps with useful tools at the disposal of radiation oncologists. The most advisable Apps do not match the more expensive. Three all-in-one apps seem advisable above all: RadOnc Reference (in English, Easy Oncology (in German and iOncoR (in Spanish. Others recommendations are suggested for specific tasks: dose calculators, treatment-decision and staging.

Many practitioners in oncology receive no or little training in how to effectively communicate with patients and families who are dealing with cancer. Moreover medical teachers are not always aware of the pedagogy of teaching communication skills in a way that results in performance improvement in this area. In this paper a method of small group teaching that was used to instruct medical oncology fellows in the essentials of communication using a retreat format that lasted three days is described. The paper covers the theoretical basis for the teaching format as well as the specific components of the workshops. It describes the process of facilitation using a "learner-centered" approach using standardized patients who take on the role of cancer patients along the trajectory of the illness. It discuss the use of small group process to facilitate skills acquisition and other strategies that facilitate learning such as reflective exercises, open role play and parallel process. It concludes with a consideration of the various ways that such workshops can be evaluated.

Full Text Available An oncologic emergency is defined as any acute, potentially life-threatening event, either directly or indirectly related to a patient′s cancer (ca or its treatment. It requires rapid intervention to avoid death or severe permanent damage. Most oncologic emergencies can be classified as metabolic, hematologic, structural, or side effects from chemotherapy agents. Tumor lysis syndrome is a metabolic emergency that presents as severe electrolyte abnormalities. The condition is treated with aggressive hydration, allopurinol or urate oxidase to lower uric acid levels. Hypercalcemia of malignancy is treated with aggressive rehydration, furosemide, and intravenous (IV bisphosphonates. Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone should be suspected if a patient with ca presents with normovolemic hyponatremia. This metabolic condition usually is treated with fluid restriction and furosemide. Febrile neutropenia is a hematologic emergency that usually requires inpatient therapy with broad-spectrum antibiotics, although outpatient therapy may be appropriate for low-risk patients. Hyperviscosity syndrome usually is associated with Waldenstrφm′s macroglobulinemia, which is treated with plasmapheresis and chemotherapy. Structural oncologic emergencies are caused by direct compression of surrounding structures or by metastatic disease. Superior vena cava syndrome is the most common structural oncological emergency. Treatment options include chemotherapy, radiation, and IV stenting. Epidural spinal cord compression can be treated with dexamethasone, radiation, or surgery. Malignant pericardial effusion, which often is undiagnosed in ca patients, can be treated with pericardiocentesis or a pericardial window procedure.

Targeted therapy in oncology is treatment directed at specific biological pathways and processes that play a critical role in carcinogenesis. Increased knowledge regarding the molecular changes underlying tumor progression and metastatis has resulted in the development of agents that are designed to

Remarkably, although 60% of new cancer cases and over 70% of cancer deaths occur in patients aged 65 years and older in Europe, standard treatment strategies have been mostly validated in younger adults. This demographic trend has led to the emergence of a new medical discipline, geriatric oncology and the development worldwide of geriatric oncology programs for the individualized management of elderly cancer patients. Elderly cancer patients represent an increasing share of the population and strategies for treating cancer must evolve to face this ineluctable reality. Treatment should take into account the highly heterogeneous physiological age of the elderly, their individual life expectancy, functional reserves, social support and preferences. French geriatric oncology programs have been mostly based on the interdependence of geriatricians, oncologists and auxiliary nursing people. This approach represent the best way to offer patients optimal management; oncologists and geriatricians collaborate to assess both global health status by means of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) and tumor stage by means of Comprehensive Tumor Assessment (CTA) and to initiate individualized care plans, involving comprehensive management and follow-up of all identified problems. This paper focuses on progress observed in the field of geriatric oncology both in France and worldwide.

The history of oncology in Slovakia is closely linked to the history of St. Elizabeth Hospital, which was set up in the mid-18th century by nuns of the St. Elizabeth Order in Bratislava. In the first half of the 20th century, a unit was set up in the hospital dedicated to diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Shortly after World War II, the unit was turned into the Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment. In 1950, St. Elizabeth Hospital was nationalized, and the Cancer Research Institute of the Slovak Academy of Science and the Institute of Clinical Oncology were located there as centers for oncological diagnosis and treatment. After the restitution of church property in the early 1990s, the hospital was returned to the Order of St. Elizabeth, which set up the St. Elisabeth Cancer Institute in the hospital premises in January of 1996. This year marks the 20th anniversary of this institute in its new premises and the 85th anniversary of the Institute of Radiumtherapy founded in Bratislava, and thus the establishment of institutional healthcare for cancer patients in Slovakia is the reason for balancing. We present a view of the consecutive changes in the organization, space and staff of the Institute and evaluate the impact of celebrities on medicine who developed oncology as a clinical, scientific and educational discipline in Bratislava and in other cities and regions of Slovakia.

In 2014 the Swedish government assigned to The Public Health Agency of Sweden to conduct studies to evaluate optimal use of existing antibiotic agents. The aim is to optimize drug use and dosing regimens to improve the clinical efficacy. The present study was selected following a structured prioritizing process by independent experts. This phase IV study is a randomized, open-label, multicenter study with non-inferiority design regarding the therapeutic use of penicillin V with two parallel groups. The overall aim is to study if the total exposure with penicillin V can be reduced from 1000 mg three times daily for 10 days to 800 mg four times daily for 5 days when treating Streptococcus pyogenes (Lancefield group A) pharyngotonsillitis. Patients will be recruited from 17 primary health care centers in Sweden. Adult men and women, youth and children ≥6 years of age who consult for sore throat and is judged to have a pharyngotonsillitis, with 3-4 Centor criteria and a positive rapid test for group A streptococci, will be included in the study. The primary outcome is clinical cure 5-7 days after discontinuation of antibiotic treatment. Follow-up controls will be done by telephone after 1 and 3 months. Throat symptoms, potential relapses and complications will be monitored, as well as adverse events. Patients (n = 432) will be included during 2 years. In the era of increasing antimicrobial resistance and the shortage of new antimicrobial agents it is necessary to revisit optimal usage of old antibiotics. Old antimicrobial drugs are often associated with inadequate knowledge on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and lack of optimized dosing regimens based on randomized controlled clinical trials. If a shorter and more potent treatment regimen is shown to be equivalent with the normal 10 day regimen this can imply great advantages for both patients (adherence, adverse events, resistance) and the community (resistance, drug costs). EudraCT number 2015

Corneal endothelial damage following phacoemulsification is still one of the major concerns of modern day cataract surgery. Although many techniques have been proposed, the risks of posterior capsular rupture and corneal endothelium damage persist. In theory, damage to the corneal endothelium is minimised by delivering the lowest phaco energy only in the direction necessary to emulsify the lens nucleus. Hence, it is believed that the bevel of the needle should be turned towards the nucleus or the nuclear fragment (ie, bevel-down. However, there is a difference of opinion among ophthalmologists with reference to the phaco tip's position (bevel-up vs bevel-down) during phacoemulsification. This subject has not been extensively studied earlier. This is a prospective, triple-blinded (trial participant, outcome assessor and the data analyst), randomised controlled trial with 2 parallel groups and with an allocation ratio of 1:1. It will be conducted in a tertiary care hospital, Mangaluru, India. The objective is to compare the postoperative central corneal thickness changes between the bevel-up and bevel-down techniques of phacoemulsification. Patients aged >18 years with immature cataract undergoing phacoemulsification will be selected for the study. The important exclusion criteria are the history of previous significant ocular trauma or intraocular surgery, corneal pathology, pseudoexfoliation syndrome, intraocular inflammation, a preoperative fully dilated pupil 4. After randomisation, patients will undergo phacoemulsification surgery either by a bevel-up or bevel-down procedure. With an estimated power of 80%, the calculated sample size is 55 patients in each group. The recruitment will start from April 2016. Yenepoya University Ethics Committee, India has approved the study protocol (YUEC/148/2016 on 18 February 2016). It complies with the Declaration of Helsinki, local laws and the International Council for Harmonization-good clinical practices. CTRI/2016

Metastasis size in melanoma sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) is an emerging prognostic factor. Two European melanoma treatment trials include SLN metastasis diameters as inclusion criteria. Whilst diameter estimates are sensitive to the number of sections examined, the level of this bias is largely...... unknown. We performed a prospective multicentre study to compare the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) recommended protocol with a protocol of complete step-sectioning....

Erectile dysfunction is a common consequence of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer. The addition of neo-adjuvant androgen deprivation (NAD) has an indeterminate additive effect. We examined the long-term effect on erectile function (EF) of two durations (4 months: arm 1 and 8 months: arm 2) of NAD prior to radiation (RT) for patients with localised prostate cancer from the Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG 97-01) 4- versus 8-month trial. In this study we aimed to (1) analyse the overall effect on EF of NAD in an EBRT population, (2) compare the probability of retained EF over time in an EBRT population treated with either 4 or 8 months of NAD and (3) identify any variables such as risk group and age which may have an additive detrimental effect. This analysis provides unique long term follow up data.

Background: The present article presents the protocol for a randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a group-based self-management support programme for recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients (one to three years post-diagnosis) and their partners. The course aims

Background. Applying quantitative morphological approaches in systematics research is a promising way to discover cryptic biological diversity. Information obtained through twenty-first century science poses new challenges to taxonomy by offering the possibility of increased objectivity in independent and automated hypothesis formation. In recent years a number of promising new algorithmic approaches have been developed to recognize morphological diversity among insects based on multivariate morphometric analyses. These algorithms objectively delimit components in the data by automatically assigning objects into clusters. Method. In this paper, hypotheses on the diversity of the Malagasy Nesomyrmex angulatus group are formulated via a highly automated protocol involving a fusion of two algorithms, (1) Nest Centroid clustering (NC clustering) and (2) Partitioning Algorithm based on Recursive Thresholding (PART). Both algorithms assign samples into clusters, making the class assignment results of different algorithms readily inferable. The results were tested by confirmatory cross-validated Linear Discriminant Analysis (LOOCV-LDA). Results. Here we reveal the diversity of a unique and largely unexplored fragment of the Malagasy ant fauna using NC-PART-clustering on continuous morphological data, an approach that brings increased objectivity to taxonomy. We describe eight morphologically distinct species, including seven new species: Nesomyrmex angulatus (Mayr, 1862), N. bidentatus sp. n., N. clypeatus sp. n., N. devius sp. n., N. exiguus sp. n., N. fragilis sp. n., N. gracilis sp. n., and N. hirtellus sp. n.. An identification key for their worker castes using morphometric data is provided. Conclusions. Combining the dimensionality reduction feature of NC clustering with the assignment of samples into clusters by PART advances the automatization of morphometry-based alpha taxonomy. PMID:26989630

Introduction Corticosteroid injections (CSIs) are commonly used as an initial or a primary intervention for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Consistent evidence indicates CSIs offer symptom relief with conflicting reports regarding long-term efficacy. Physical therapy (PT) offers a non-invasive alternative. There is moderate evidence suggesting short-term and long-term symptom relief and functional improvement with PT interventions. Patients with knee OA are more commonly prescribed CSI than PT prior to total joint replacement. UnitedHealthcare and Military Health System data show substantially more total knee replacement patients receive preoperative CSI than PT. There are no studies comparing CSI to a PT approach in individuals with knee OA. The primary objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of CSI to PT in individuals with knee OA at 1, 2 and 12 months. Methods and analysis We plan to recruit 156 participants meeting established knee OA criteria. Following informed consent, participants will be randomised to receive either CSI or PT. All participants will receive instruction on recommended exercise and weight control strategies plus usual medical care. The CSI intervention consisting of 3 injections and the PT intervention consisting of 8–12 sessions will be spaced over 12 months. Measures of the dependent variables (DVs) will occur at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 6 months and 12 months post enrolment. This pragmatic, randomised clinical trial will be a mixed-model 2×5 factorial design. The independent variables are treatment (CSI and PT) and time with five levels from baseline to 1 year. The primary DV is the Western Ontario & McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC). We will also compare healthcare utilisation between the 2 groups. Ethics and Dissemination The protocol was approved by the Madigan Army Medical Center Institutional Review Board. The authors intend to publish the results in a peer-reviewed source. Trial Registration

Full Text Available Background. Applying quantitative morphological approaches in systematics research is a promising way to discover cryptic biological diversity. Information obtained through twenty-first century science poses new challenges to taxonomy by offering the possibility of increased objectivity in independent and automated hypothesis formation. In recent years a number of promising new algorithmic approaches have been developed to recognize morphological diversity among insects based on multivariate morphometric analyses. These algorithms objectively delimit components in the data by automatically assigning objects into clusters. Method. In this paper, hypotheses on the diversity of the Malagasy Nesomyrmex angulatus group are formulated via a highly automated protocol involving a fusion of two algorithms, (1 Nest Centroid clustering (NC clustering and (2 Partitioning Algorithm based on Recursive Thresholding (PART. Both algorithms assign samples into clusters, making the class assignment results of different algorithms readily inferable. The results were tested by confirmatory cross-validated Linear Discriminant Analysis (LOOCV-LDA. Results. Here we reveal the diversity of a unique and largely unexplored fragment of the Malagasy ant fauna using NC-PART-clustering on continuous morphological data, an approach that brings increased objectivity to taxonomy. We describe eight morphologically distinct species, including seven new species: Nesomyrmex angulatus (Mayr, 1862, N. bidentatus sp. n., N. clypeatus sp. n., N. devius sp. n., N. exiguus sp. n., N. fragilis sp. n., N. gracilis sp. n., and N. hirtellus sp. n.. An identification key for their worker castes using morphometric data is provided. Conclusions. Combining the dimensionality reduction feature of NC clustering with the assignment of samples into clusters by PART advances the automatization of morphometry-based alpha taxonomy.

Stress is a major problem in today's fast-paced society and can lead to serious psychosomatic complications. The ancient Chinese mind-body exercise of Tai Chi may provide an alternative and self-sustaining option to pharmaceutical medication for stressed individuals to improve their coping mechanisms. The protocol of this study is designed to evaluate whether Tai Chi practice is equivalent to standard exercise and whether the Tai Chi group is superior to a wait-list control group in improving stress coping levels. This study is a 6-week, three-arm, parallel, randomized, clinical trial designed to evaluate Tai Chi practice against standard exercise and a Tai Chi group against a nonactive control group over a period of 6 weeks with a 6-week follow-up. A total of 72 healthy adult participants (aged 18-60 years) who are either Tai Chi naïve or have not practiced Tai Chi in the past 12 months will be randomized into a Tai Chi group (n = 24), an exercise group (n = 24) or a wait-list group (n = 24). The primary outcome measure will be the State Trait Anxiety Inventory with secondary outcome measures being the Perceived Stress Scale 14, heart rate variability, blood pressure, Short Form 36 and a visual analog scale. The protocol is reported using the appropriate Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) items.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Childhood Apraxia of Speech is an impairment of speech motor planning that manifests as difficulty producing the sounds (articulation and melody (prosody of speech. These difficulties may persist through life and are detrimental to academic, social, and vocational development. A number of published single subject and case series studies of speech treatments are available. There are currently no randomised control trials or other well designed group trials available to guide clinical practice. Methods/Design A parallel group, fixed size randomised control trial will be conducted in Sydney, Australia to determine the efficacy of two treatments for Childhood Apraxia of Speech: 1 Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment and the 2 Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme – Third edition. Eligible children will be English speaking, aged 4–12 years with a diagnosis of suspected CAS, normal or adjusted hearing and vision, and no comprehension difficulties or other developmental diagnoses. At least 20 children will be randomised to receive one of the two treatments in parallel. Treatments will be delivered by trained and supervised speech pathology clinicians using operationalised manuals. Treatment will be administered in 1-hour sessions, 4 times per week for 3 weeks. The primary outcomes are speech sound and prosodic accuracy on a customised 292 item probe and the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology inconsistency subtest administered prior to treatment and 1 week, 1 month and 4 months post-treatment. All post assessments will be completed by blinded assessors. Our hypotheses are: 1 treatment effects at 1 week post will be similar for both treatments, 2 maintenance of treatment effects at 1 and 4 months post will be greater for Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment than Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme treatment, and 3 generalisation of treatment effects to untrained related speech behaviours will be greater for Rapid

There are approximately 82 radiation oncology residency programs in the United States, which provide training opportunities for about 400 residents. All accredited radiation oncology residency programs must have at least one basic scientist on the faculty, and it is these individuals who often assume, wholly or in part, the responsibility of teaching radiation and cancer biology to radiation oncology residents in preparation for the American College of Radiology (ACR) In-Training Examination in Radiation Oncology and the American Board of Radiology (ABR) written examinations. In response to a perceived lack of uniformity in radiation and cancer biology curricula currently being taught to residents and a perceived lack of guidance for instructors in formulating course content for this population, a special session was presented at the Forty-eighth Annual Radiation Research Society meeting on April 23, 2001. The session, entitled "Toward a Consensus on Radiobiology Teaching to Radiation Oncology Residents", was focused on issues related to teaching radiobiology to radiation oncology residents and targeted for individuals who actively teach radiation and cancer biology as well as coordinators of residency training programs. The speakers addressed current challenges and future problems facing instructors and programs. Among these were lack of feedback on resident performance on ABR and ACR written examinations and on course content, uncertainty about what topics residents must know to pass the ABR examination, and, in the near future, a reduction (due to retirement) of instructors qualified to teach radiobiology. This article provides a synopsis of the information that was presented during that session, offers a glimpse into how the ABR and ACR examinations are prepared and details of the content of past and future examinations, and summarizes the activities of the Joint Working Group on Radiobiology Teaching which was formed to educate instructors, to establish a

This review provides a framework for the neurosurgeon in understanding the increasingly important role of genetics in the study of nervous system tumors. The three tumors discussed (retinoblastoma, meningioma, and neurofibroma) are neither the most common nor the most clinically devastating tumors faced by neurosurgeons. Rather, the studies on these tumors are presented because of the important lessons each provides. Studies of retinoblastoma demonstrate the ability of a gene which is recessive at the cellular level to require a second mutation for tumorigenesis and therein to appear as a dominantly inherited disorder at the level of the organism. This "multi-hit" theory could easily be applied to other nervous system tumors which have both sporadic solitary tumors and familial multiple tumors. In this group we should include acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, gliomas, neurofibromas, paragangliomas (glomus and carotid body tumors), and the pituitary tumors (and others) associated with the multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes. The limits of this review do not allow a separate discussion of the neurosurgical aspect of these lesions; for this, the reader is referred elsewhere (18, 19). Meningiomas are discussed because it appears that two separate lines of inquiry may eventually be related at a cellular level. These directions of study are the demonstration that a common karyotypic abnormality (monosomy 22) is associated with a female preponderance of meningiomas and the demonstration of sex hormone binding in meningiomas. Future studies should be aimed at showing an in vitro biologic response of these tumors to exogenously added hormones or to their blocking agents. Moreover, one would hope that this response would correlate with a specific chromosomal abnormality. It is possible that some portion of the DNA which has been deleted or altered in these tumors plays an essential role in the regulation of the sex steroid regulatory system. If this segment of the genome

This article describes the author's experiences of working with cancer patients/survivors both individually and in support groups for many years, across several settings. It also documents current best-practice guidelines for the psychosocial treatment of cancer patients/survivors and their families. The author's view of the important qualities…

The regulation of biosimilars is a process that is still developing. In Europe, guidance regarding the approval and use of biosimilars has evolved with the products under consideration. It is now more than 3 years since the first biosimilar agents in oncology support, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, were approved in the EU. More recently, biosimilar granulocyte colony-stimulating factors have received marketing approval in Europe. This review considers general issues surrounding the introduction of biosimilars and highlights current specific issues pertinent to their use in clinical practice in oncology. Information on marketing approval, extrapolation, labelling, substitution, immunogenicity and traceability of each biosimilar product is important, especially in oncology where patients are treated in repeated therapy courses, often with complicated protocols, and where biosimilars are not used as a unique therapy for replacement of e.g. growth hormone or insulin. While future developments in the regulation of biosimilars will need to address multiple issues, in the interim physicians should remain aware of the inherent differences between biosimilar and innovator products.

The regulation of biosimilars is a process that is still developing. In Europe, guidance regarding the approval and use of biosimilars has evolved with the products under consideration. It is now more than 3 years since the first biosimilar agents in oncology support, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, were approved in the EU. More recently, biosimilar granulocyte colony-stimulating factors have received marketing approval in Europe. This review considers general issues surrounding the introduction of biosimilars and highlights current specific issues pertinent to their use in clinical practice in oncology. Information on marketing approval, extrapolation, labelling, substitution, immunogenicity and traceability of each biosimilar product is important, especially in oncology where patients are treated in repeated therapy courses, often with complicated protocols, and where biosimilars are not used as a unique therapy for replacement of e.g. growth hormone or insulin. While future developments in the regulation of biosimilars will need to address multiple issues, in the interim physicians should remain aware of the inherent differences between biosimilar and innovator products. PMID:21175852

A patient registration system is mandatory for establishing the scientific credibility of the multi-center clinical trials. The Japan Interventional Radiology in Oncology Study Group (JIVROSG) was organized in 2002 to establish evidence supporting the procedures used in interventional radiology. The Internet Data and Information Center for Medical Research (INDICE), provided by the University Hospital Medical Information Network(UMIN), has been utilized for patient registration in the clinical trials of JIVROSG. In this study, the safety and efficacy of UMIN-INDICE were evaluated. From 2002 to 2010, 18 clinical trials, including one international trial, were conducted. A total of 736 patients were enrolled from 51 institutions. No significant trouble was encountered during this period. A questionnaire survey demonstrated that 90% of participating researchers could use this system without difficulties. UMIN-INDICE may contribute to promoting clinical trials as an infrastructure of multicenter studies.

Full Text Available Cancer is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world. Advancements in early and improved diagnosis could help prevent a significant number of these deaths. Raman spectroscopy is a vibrational spectroscopic technique which has received considerable attention recently with regards to applications in clinical oncology. Raman spectroscopy has the potential not only to improve diagnosis of cancer but also to advance the treatment of cancer. A number of studies have investigated Raman spectroscopy for its potential to improve diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of cancers. In this paper the most recent advances in dispersive Raman spectroscopy, which have demonstrated promising leads to real world application for clinical oncology are reviewed. The application of Raman spectroscopy to breast, brain, skin, cervical, gastrointestinal, oral, and lung cancers is reviewed as well as a special focus on the data analysis techniques, which have been employed in the studies.

Cardio-oncology is a relatively new discipline that focuses on the cardiovascular sequelae of anti-tumour drugs. As any other young adolescent discipline, cardio-oncology struggles to define its scientific boundaries and to identify best standards of care for cancer patients or survivors at risk of cardiovascular events. The International Colloquium on Cardio-Oncology was held in Rome, Italy, 12–14 March 2014, with the aim of illuminating controversial issues and unmet needs in modern cardio-oncology. This colloquium embraced contributions from different kind of disciplines (oncology and cardiology but also paediatrics, geriatrics, genetics, and translational research); in fact, cardio-oncology goes way beyond the merging of cardiology with oncology. Moreover, the colloquium programme did not review cardiovascular toxicity from one drug or the other, rather it looked at patients as we see them in their fight against cancer and eventually returning to everyday life. This represents the melting pot in which anti-cancer therapies, genetic backgrounds, and risk factors conspire in producing cardiovascular sequelae, and this calls for screening programmes and well-designed platforms of collaboration between one key professional figure and another. The International Colloquium on Cardio-Oncology was promoted by the Menarini International Foundation and co-chaired by Giorgio Minotti (Rome), Joseph R Carver (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States), and Steven E Lipshultz (Detroit, Michigan, United States). The programme was split into five sessions of broad investigational and clinical relevance (what is cardiotoxicity?, cardiotoxicity in children, adolescents, and young adults, cardiotoxicity in adults, cardiotoxicity in special populations, and the future of cardio-oncology). Here, the colloquium chairs and all the session chairs briefly summarised what was said at the colloquium. Topics and controversies were reported on behalf of all members of the working group

Purpose To test the efficacy of 4 weeks of intravenous (IV) induction with high-dose interferon (IFN) as part of the Eastern Cooperative OncologyGroup regimen compared with observation (OBS) in patients with surgically resected intermediate-risk melanoma. Patients and Methods In this intergroup international trial, eligible patients had surgically resected cutaneous melanoma in the following categories: (1) T2bN0, (2) T3a-bN0, (3) T4a-bN0, and (4) T1-4N1a-2a (microscopic). Patients were randomly assigned to receive IFN α-2b at 20 MU/m(2)/d IV for 5 days (Monday to Friday) every week for 4 weeks (IFN) or OBS. Stratification factors were pathologic lymph node status, lymph node staging procedure, Breslow depth, ulceration of the primary lesion, and disease stage. The primary end point was relapse-free survival. Secondary end points included overall survival, toxicity, and quality of life. Results A total of 1,150 patients were randomly assigned. At a median follow-up of 7 years, the 5-year relapse-free survival rate was 0.70 (95% CI, 0.66 to 0.74) for OBS and 0.70, (95% CI, 0.66 to 0.74) for IFN ( P = .964). The 5-year overall survival rate was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.79 to 0.86) for OBS and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.80 to 0.86) for IFN ( P = .558). Treatment-related grade 3 and higher toxicity was 4.6% versus 57.9% for OBS and IFN, respectively ( P weeks of IV induction as part of the Eastern Cooperative OncologyGroup high-dose IFN regimen is not better than OBS alone for patients with intermediate-risk melanoma as defined in this trial.

Full Text Available Cancer pain can be caused by a malignant tumor, by the therapy used to treat it, or by both causes. It begins with an acute onset that goes towards healing or chronicity. Together with the manifestations of a chronic pain, acute episodes may appear. A bibliographic study was carried out on the oncological pain, using the resources available in the Infomed network, specifically Ebsco, The Cochrane Librery, PubMed, Hinari and SciELO, by means of which the following databases were accessed: MEDLINE, AcademicSearch Premier and MedicLatina. The presence of pain in an oncological process is variable and it depends on the type and extension of the disease, as well as on each person's own individual tolerance. The terminal intense oncological pain is a circumstance both foreseeable and necessarily avoidable. Its relief is a priority in the cancer program of the World Health Organization. To know the classification of pain, its causes, the assessment scales and the way in which it may be described provides a comprehensive treatment for cancer pain. It also helps to optimize the comprehensive care to the patients suffering from this condition and improve their quality of life.

Clinical trials are paramount to improving human health. New trial designs and informed consent issues are emerging as a result of genomic profiling and the development of molecularly targeted agents. Many groups and individuals are responsible for ensuring the protection of research participants and the quality of the data produced. The specialty role of the clinical trials nurse (CTN) is critical to clinical trials. Oncology CTNs have competencies that can help guide their practice; however, not all oncology clinical trials are supervised by a nurse. Using the process of engagement, one organization has restructured oncology CTNs under a nurse-supervised model.

The Pivot Nurse in Oncology (PNO) is a health care professional dedicated to providing patients with cancer and their families with continuing and consistent supportive care throughout the care trajectory. The purpose of this paper is to describe the variation and frequency of nursing interventions delivered by 12 PNOs at our health centre. An administrative analysis over a three-year period revealed a total of 43,906 interventions that were grouped into 10 categories. This analysis provided a description of the intervention frequency and these interventions were further collapsed into the four role functions of the PNO. Coordination/continuity of care and the assessment of needs and symptoms were identified as the dominant practice domains of the PNO in the professional cancer navigator role.

The term 'personalised medicine' is frequently used when modern medicine or the future of medicine is being described. Although the term basically implies that patients are individuals and should be treated as such, its modern meaning embraces a major leap by combining diagnostics and therapy. Thus, personalised medicine as presently understood seeks mainly to improve the effectiveness of therapeutic measures by tailoring therapy protocols according to the molecular genotype and phenotype of the individual patient. This has been facilitated by the introduction of new technologies such as next generation sequencing and proteome analysis, which has demonstrated that each tumour is much more distinctive than previously thought. Nevertheless, bioinformatics and experimental assays suggest that only a restricted number of driver genes or molecular pathways contribute to the development of most tumours. So, while tumour genomes have not yet been analysed in veterinary oncology, studies focused on mRNA expression and proteomic profiles of (mainly canine) tumours have already provided clinically relevant biomarkers and gene expression patterns. These data may be the start point for personalised approaches in veterinary oncology leading to better efficacy and safety of therapeutic protocols.

Full Text Available Objective: The outcomes of a Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat (SWOT analysis of three Integrated Oncological Departments were compared with their present situation three years later to define factors that can influence a successful implementation and development of an Integrated Oncological Department in- and outside (i.e. home care the hospital. Research design: Comparative Qualitative Case Study. Methods: Auditing based on care-as-usual norms by an external, experienced auditing committee. Research setting: Integrated Oncological Departments of three hospitals. Results: Successful multidisciplinary care in an integrated, oncological department needs broad support inside the hospital and a well-defined organisational plan.

Purpose To test the hypothesis that increasing radiation dose delivered to men with early-stage prostate cancer improves clinical outcomes. Patients and Methods Men with T1b-T2b prostate cancer and prostate-specific antigen ≤ 15 ng/mL were randomly assigned to a total dose of either 70.2 Gray equivalents (GyE; conventional) or 79.2 GyE (high). No patient received androgen suppression therapy with radiation. Local failure (LF), biochemical failure (BF), and overall survival (OS) were outcomes. Results A total of 393 men were randomly assigned, and median follow-up was 8.9 years. Men receiving high-dose radiation therapy were significantly less likely to have LF, with a hazard ratio of 0.57. The 10-year American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology BF rates were 32.4% for conventional-dose and 16.7% for high-dose radiation therapy (P < .0001). This difference held when only those with low-risk disease (n = 227; 58% of total) were examined: 28.2% for conventional and 7.1% for high dose (P < .0001). There was a strong trend in the same direction for the intermediate-risk patients (n = 144; 37% of total; 42.1% v 30.4%, P = .06). Eleven percent of patients subsequently required androgen deprivation for recurrence after conventional dose compared with 6% after high dose (P = .047). There remains no difference in OS rates between the treatment arms (78.4% v 83.4%; P = .41). Two percent of patients in both arms experienced late grade ≥ 3 genitourinary toxicity, and 1% of patients in the high-dose arm experienced late grade ≥ 3 GI toxicity. Conclusion This randomized controlled trial shows superior long-term cancer control for men with localized prostate cancer receiving high-dose versus conventional-dose radiation. This was achieved without an increase in grade ≥ 3 late urinary or rectal morbidity. PMID:20124169

... From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee of the Oncologic Drugs... (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee...

Security and privacy block the development of the Internet of Things (IOT). How to design a RFID grouping-proof protocol with security and high efficiency is a key problem in the security of IOT. Firstly, we present an attack model and a interaction model, and give the analysis. Then, the ideal functionality Fvs and the grouping-proof ideal functionality FGp are formally defined with the UC framework. Finally, a grouping-proof protocol πgp is designed in the Fvs-hy-brid model. It is proved that the protocol πgp realizes the ideal functionality Fop securely for any adversary. According to the composition theorem in the UC framework, the proposed grouping-proof protocol for RFID tags is UC secure.%物联网的安全和隐私保护问题是制约其进一步发展的关键性问题,如何设计一个安全、高效的组证明RFID协议是物联网安全需要重点研究的一个问题.首先,文中对物联网环境下组证明RFID协议的交互模型和攻击模型做了分析和描述.然后,在通用可组合安全框架下,形式化定义了理想功能FvS和RFID组证明理想功能FGP.最后,在Fvs-混合模型下,设计了组证明RFID协议πGp,并证明对于任意的攻击者而言,协议πGP,能安全实现理想功能FGP.根据组合定理表明新的组证明RFID协议具有通用可组合安全性.

The care of children with malignant solid tumors in sub-Saharan Africa is compromised by resource deficiencies that range from inadequate healthcare budgets and a paucity of appropriately trained personnel, to scarce laboratory facilities and inconsistent drug supplies. Patients face difficulties accessing healthcare, affording investigational and treatment protocols, and attending follow-up. Children routinely present with advanced local and metastatic disease and many children cannot be offered any effective treatment. Additionally, multiple comorbidities, including malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV when added to acute on chronic malnutrition, compound treatment-related toxicities. Survival rates are poor. Pediatric surgical oncology is not yet regarded as a health care priority by governments struggling to achieve their millennium goals. The patterns of childhood solid malignant tumors in Africa are discussed, and the difficulties encountered in their management are highlighted. Three pediatric surgeons from different regions of Africa reflect on their experiences and review the available literature. The overall incidence of pediatric solid malignant tumor is difficult to estimate in Africa because of lack of vital hospital statistics and national cancer registries in most of countries. The reported incidences vary between 5% and 15.5% of all malignant tumors. Throughout the continent, patterns of malignant disease vary with an obvious increase in the prevalence of Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and Kaposi sarcoma in response-increased prevalence of HIV disease. In northern Africa, the most common malignant tumor is leukemia, followed by brain tumors and nephroblastoma or neuroblastoma. In sub-Saharan countries, BL is the commonest tumor followed by nephroblastoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. The overall 5-years survival varied between 5% (in Côte d'Ivoire before 2001) to 34% in Egypt and up to 70% in South Africa. In many reports, the survival rate of

Full Text Available Gliomas are notoriously aggressive, malignant brain tumors that have variable response to treatment. These patients often have poor prognosis, informed primarily by histopathology. Mathematical neuro-oncology (MNO is a young and burgeoning field that leverages mathematical models to predict and quantify response to therapies. These mathematical models can form the basis of modern precision medicine approaches to tailor therapy in a patient-specific manner. Patient specific models (PSMs can be used to overcome imaging limitations, improve prognostic predictions, stratify patients and assess treatment response in silico. The information gleaned from such models can aid in the construction and efficacy of clinical trials and treatment protocols, accelerating the pace of clinical research in the war on cancer. This review focuses on the growing translation of PSM to clinical neuro-oncology. It will also provide a forward-looking view on a new era of patient-specific mathematical neuro-oncology.

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To propose and test the applicability of a dysphonia risk screening protocol with score calculation in individuals with and without dysphonia. METHOD: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 365 individuals (41 children, 142 adult women, 91 adult men and 91 seniors divided into a dysphonic group and a non-dysphonic group. The protocol consisted of 18 questions and a score was calculated using a 10-cm visual analog scale. The measured value on the visual analog scale was added to the overall score, along with other partial scores. Speech samples allowed for analysis/assessment of the overall degree of vocal deviation and initial definition of the respective groups and after six months, the separation of the groups was confirmed using an acoustic analysis. RESULTS: The mean total scores were different between the groups in all samples. Values ranged between 37.0 and 57.85 in the dysphonic group and between 12.95 and 19.28 in the non-dysphonic group, with overall means of 46.09 and 15.55, respectively. High sensitivity and specificity were demonstrated when discriminating between the groups with the following cut-off points: 22.50 (children, 29.25 (adult women, 22.75 (adult men, and 27.10 (seniors. CONCLUSION: The protocol demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating groups of individuals with and without dysphonia in different sample groups and is thus an effective instrument for use in voice clinics.

Veterinary clinical oncology involves a multidisciplinary approach to the recognition and management of spontaneously occurring neoplasms of domestic animals. This requires some knowledge of the causes, incidence, and natural course of malignant disease as it occurs in domestic species. The purpose of this course is to acquaint you with the more common neoplastic problems you will encounter in practice, so that you can offer your clients an informed opinion regarding prognosis and possible therapeutic modalities. A major thrust will be directed toward discussing and encouraging treatment/management of malignant disease. Multimodality therapy will be stressed. 10 refs., 3 tabs.

Veterinary clinical oncology involves a multidisciplinary approach to the recognition and management of spontaneously occurring neoplasms of domestic animals. This requires some knowledge of the causes, incidence, and natural course of malignant disease as it occurs in domestic species. The purpose of this course is to acquaint you with the more common neoplastic problems you will encounter in practice, so that you can offer your clients an informed opinion regarding prognosis and possible therapeutic modalities. A major thrust will be directed toward discussing and encouraging treatment/management of malignant disease. Multimodality therapy will be stressed. 10 refs., 3 tabs.

This book provides an overview of recent advances in radiation oncology, many of which have originated from physics and engineering sciences. After an introductory section on basic aspects of 3D medical imaging, the role of 3D imaging in the context of radiotherapy is explored in a series of chapters on the various modern imaging techniques. A further major section addresses 3D treatment planning for conformal radiotherapy, with consideration of both external radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Subsequently the modern techniques of 3D conformal radiotherapy are described, including stereotactic radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided and adaptive radiotherapy, and radiotherapy with charged particles.

对Burmester等人提出的非认证组密钥协商协议的安全性进行了深入分析,指出该协议不能抵抗内部恶意节点发起的密钥协商阻断攻击和密钥控制攻击.提出了一种故障容忍的组密钥协商(FT-GKA)协议,FT-GKA协议在密钥协商过程中加入了消息正确性的认证机制,该机制利用数字签名技术检测组内恶意节点,并在驱逐恶意节点后保证组内诚实节点能计算出正确的会话密钥,解决了Burmester等人提出协议中存在的内部恶意节点攻击问题.并证明提出的协议在DDH假设下能抵抗敌手的被动攻击,在DL假设和随机预言模型下能够抵抗内部恶意节点发起的密钥协商阻断攻击和密钥控制攻击.理论分析与实验测试表明,提出的协议具有较高的通信轮效率和较低的计算开销.%This paper indicates that Burmester et al.'s group key agreement protocol which based on the authenticated broadcast channel is unable to withstand the disruption attack and key-control attack of malicious participants in group. These two attacks lead that other honest participants will compute different session key and other honest participants compute the fixed session key which is determined previously by malicious participants,respectively.In this paper,a fault-tolerant group key agreement (FT-GKA) protocol is proposed. Even if there are malicious participants trying to attack the establishment of a session key, all other honest participants following the proposed protocol are still able to compute the correct session key using the digital signature technology.Paper proves the protocol can withstand the passive attack of adversary under the DDH assumption, and the protocol can withstand the interrupted attack and key - control attack from malicious participants under the DL assumption and the random oracle model.Furthermore, the proposed protocol possesses both constant number of rounds and lower computation overhead.

in the intervention program. The physical and social intervention examines the effect of early, structured, individualized, and continuous physical activity from diagnosis throughout the treatment period. The patients are tested at diagnosis, at 3 and 6 months after diagnosis, and one year after the cessation......During cancer treatment children have reduced contact with their social network of friends, and have limited participation in education, sports, and leisure activities. During and following cancer treatment, children describe school related problems, reduced physical fitness, and problems related...... includes Danish-speaking children diagnosed with cancer and treated at pediatric oncology units in Denmark. Primary endpoints are the level of educational achievement one year after the cessation of first-line cancer therapy, and the value of VO2max one year after the cessation of first-line cancer therapy...

Full Text Available Pain represents the main symptom in an important group of patients who are in active treatment for cancer and in sick people in a very advanced stage. The objective of this article is to review the basic pharmacology of the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, weak opioids, bigger opioids, as well as the different special pharmacological and non- pharmacological techniques that constitute the analgesic stairway in the management of patients who are suffering from oncological pain.

The 2014 OECI Oncology Days was held at the ‘Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta’ Oncology Institute in Cluj, Romania, from 12 to 13 June. The focus of this year’s gathering was on developments in personalised medicine and other treatment advances which have made the cost of cancer care too high for many region

A description is provided of "Pediatric Oncology for Nurses," the first in a series of three courses offered to fourth-year nursing students in pediatric oncology. The first section provides a course overview, discusses time assignments, and describes the target student population. Next, a glossary of terms, and lists of course goals, long-range…

The characteristics and prestige associated with oncology and assessed shifts in medical students' perceptions as a result of participation in an oncology course are explored. Respondents were asked to rate the prestige of eight specialities and asked to select characteristics "that best describe each type of specialist." (MLW)

Oncology nurses are particularly vulnerable to "burnout" syndrome due to the intensity of their work and the ongoing losses they experience while providing oncology care to their patients. High levels of stress in the workplace left untended lead to high job turnover, poor productivity, and diminished quality of care for patients.…

The Clinical Oncology Assistantship Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is described, along with student reactions to the program. The summer elective program involves cancer lectures (one week) and clinical exposure (nine weeks) in medical, surgical, and pediatric oncology services, as well as self-directed learning…

Objective: The outcomes of a Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat (SWOT) analysis of three Integrated Oncological Departments were compared with their present situation three years later to define factors that can influence a successful implementation and development of an Integrated Oncolog

Full Text Available More and more cancer patients use complementary therapies. As the majority of patients do not disclose their use of complementary therapies to their oncologists, they expose themselves to possible detrimental effects from the therapies due to drug interactions. To meet the needs of patients and health care professionals on valid information on complementary therapies, the collaborative research project “Competence Network Complementary Medicine in Oncology—KOKON”, an interdisciplinary network for complementary medicine research in oncology, was established. Moreover, Integrative Oncology, a combination of conventional and evidenced-based complementary therapies delivered using a comprehensive approach, is now increasingly used in the United States and Europe. A variety of different Integrative Oncology models have been established worldwide including an expert-based model at the Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany and a patient-centered, evidenced-based approach at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Both models are briefly reviewed. More research is needed and Comparative Effectiveness Research that places strong emphasis on the comparison of different treatment options in usual care settings by including more heterogeneous patients, using less standardized treatment protocols, and measuring patient-centered outcomes would provide useful information for decision-making. To improve the quality of care and research in Integrative Oncology, sustainable financial models for Integrative Oncology and more funding for research are needed.

Cancer is a complex disease and unfortunately understanding how the components of the cancer system work does not help understand the behavior of the system as a whole. In the words of the Greek philosopher Aristotle "the whole is greater than the sum of parts." To date, thanks to improved information technology infrastructures, it is possible to store data from each single cancer patient, including clinical data, medical images, laboratory tests, and pathological and genomic information. Indeed, medical archive storage constitutes approximately one-third of total global storage demand and a large part of the data are in the form of medical images. The opportunity is now to draw insight on the whole to the benefit of each individual patient. In the oncologic patient, big data analysis is at the beginning but several useful applications can be envisaged including development of imaging biomarkers to predict disease outcome, assessing the risk of X-ray dose exposure or of renal damage following the administration of contrast agents, and tracking and optimizing patient workflow. The aim of this review is to present current evidence of how big data derived from medical images may impact on the diagnostic pathway of the oncologic patient.

Aggressiveness criteria proposed in the scientific literature a decade ago provide a quality judgment and are a reference in the care of patients with advanced cancer, but their use is not generalized in the evaluation of Oncology Services. In this paper we analyze the therapeutic aggressiveness, according to standard criteria, in 1.001 patients with advanced cancer who died in our Institution between 2010 and 2013. The results seem to show that aggressiveness at the end of life is present more frequently than experts recommend. About 25% of patients fulfill at least one criterion of aggressiveness. This result could be explained by a liquid Oncology which does not prioritize the patient as a moral subject in the clinical appointment. Medical care is oriented to necessities and must be articulated in a model focused on dignity and communication. Its implementation through Advanced Care Planning, consideration of patient's values and preferences, and Limitation of therapeutic effort are ways to reduce aggressiveness and improve clinical practice at the end of life. We need to encourage synergic and proactive attitudes, adding the best of cancer research with the best clinical care for the benefit of human being, moral subject and main goal of Medicine.

Decisions in surgical oncology are increasingly being made by multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). Although MDTs have been widely accepted as the preferred model for cancer service delivery, the process of decision making has not been well described and there is little evidence pointing to the ideal structure of an MDT. Performance in surgery has been shown to depend on non-technical skills, such as decision making, as well as patient factors and the technical skills of the healthcare team. Application of this systems approach to MDT working allows the identification of factors that affect the quality of decision making for cancer patients. In this article we review the literature on decision making in surgical oncology and by drawing from the systems approach to surgical performance we provide a framework for understanding the process of decision making in MDTs. Technical factors that affect decision making include the information about patients, robust ICT and video-conferencing equipment, a minimum dataset with expert review of radiological and pathological information, implementation and recording of the MDTs decision. Non-technical factors with an impact on decision making include attendance of team members at meetings, leadership, teamwork, open discussion, consensus on decisions and communication with patients and primary care. Optimising these factors will strengthen the decision making process and raise the quality of care for cancer patients.

Cancer is a complex disease, characterized by alteration of different physiological molecular processes and cellular features. Keeping this in mind, the possibility of early identification and detection of specific tumor biomarkers by non-invasive approaches could improve early diagnosis and patient management.Different molecular imaging procedures provide powerful tools for detection and non-invasive characterization of oncological lesions. Clinical studies are mainly based on the use of computed tomography, nuclear-based imaging techniques and magnetic resonance imaging. Preclinical imaging in small animal models entails the use of dedicated instruments, and beyond the already cited imaging techniques, it includes also optical imaging studies. Optical imaging strategies are based on the use of luminescent or fluorescent reporter genes or injectable fluorescent or luminescent probes that provide the possibility to study tumor features even by means of fluorescence and luminescence imaging. Currently, most of these probes are used only in animal models, but the possibility of applying some of them also in the clinics is under evaluation.The importance of tumor imaging, the ease of use of optical imaging instruments, the commercial availability of a wide range of probes as well as the continuous description of newly developed probes, demonstrate the significance of these applications. The aim of this review is providing a complete description of the possible optical imaging procedures available for the non-invasive assessment of tumor features in oncological murine models. In particular, the characteristics of both commercially available and newly developed probes will be outlined and discussed.

Th2 immunity and allergic immune surveillance play critical roles in host responses to pathogens, parasites and allergens. Numerous studies have reported significant links between Th2 responses and cancer, including insights into the functions of IgE antibodies and associated effector cells in both antitumour immune surveillance and therapy. The interdisciplinary field of AllergoOncology was given Task Force status by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 2014. Affiliated expert groups focus on the interface between allergic responses and cancer, applied to immune surveillance, immunomodulation and the functions of IgE-mediated immune responses against cancer, to derive novel insights into more effective treatments. Coincident with rapid expansion in clinical application of cancer immunotherapies, here we review the current state-of-the-art and future translational opportunities, as well as challenges in this relatively new field. Recent developments include improved understanding of Th2 antibodies, intratumoral innate allergy effector cells and mediators, IgE-mediated tumour antigen cross-presentation by dendritic cells, as well as immunotherapeutic strategies such as vaccines and recombinant antibodies, and finally, the management of allergy in daily clinical oncology. Shedding light on the crosstalk between allergic response and cancer is paving the way for new avenues of treatment.

Standardization of care can reduce the risk of errors, increase efficiency, and provide a framework for best practice. In 2008, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) invited a broad range of stakeholders to create a set of standards for the administration of chemotherapy to adult patients in the outpatient setting. At the close of a full-day structured workshop, 64 draft standards were proposed. After a formal process of electronic voting and conference calls, 29 draft standards were eliminated, resulting in a final list of 35 draft measures. The proposed set of standards was posted for 6 weeks of open public comment. Three hundred twenty-two comments were reviewed by the Steering Group and used as the basis for final editing to a final set of standards. The final list includes 31 standards encompassing seven domains, which include the following: review of clinical information and selection of a treatment regimen; treatment planning and informed consent; ordering of treatment; drug preparation; assessment of treatment compliance; administration and monitoring; assessment of response and toxicity monitoring. Adherence to ASCO and ONS standards for safe chemotherapy administration should be a goal of all providers of adult cancer care.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to determine the self-reported prevalence of burnout in chairs of academic radiation oncology departments, to identify factors contributing to burnout, and to compare the prevalence of burnout with that seen in other academic chair groups. Methods and Materials: An anonymous online survey was administered to the membership of the Society of Chairs of Academic Radiation Oncology Programs (SCAROP). Burnout was measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Results: Questionnaires were returned from 66 of 87 chairs (76% response rate). Seventy-nine percent of respondents reported satisfaction with their current positions. Common major stressors were budget deficits and human resource issues. One-quarter of chairs reported that it was at least moderately likely that they would step down in the next 1 to 2 years; these individuals demonstrated significantly higher emotional exhaustion. Twenty-five percent of respondents met the MBI-HSS criteria for low burnout, 75% for moderate burnout, and none for high burnout. Group MBI-HSS subscale scores demonstrated a pattern of moderate emotional exhaustion, low depersonalization, and moderate personal accomplishment, comparing favorably with other specialties. Conclusions: This is the first study of burnout in radiation oncology chairs with a high response rate and using a validated psychometric tool. Radiation oncology chairs share similar major stressors to other chair groups, but they demonstrate relatively high job satisfaction and lower burnout. Emotional exhaustion may contribute to the anticipated turnover in coming years. Further efforts addressing individual and institutional factors associated with burnout may improve the relationship with work of chairs and other department members.

Purpose: To assess the impact of domicile-based humidification on symptom burden during radiation therapy (RT) for head-and-neck (H and N) cancer. Methods and Materials: From June 2007 through June 2011, 210 patients with H and N cancer receiving RT were randomized to either a control arm or to receive humidification using the Fisher and Paykel Healthcare MR880 humidifier. Humidification commenced on day 1 of RT and continued until Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 3.0, clinical mucositis (CMuc) grade ≤1 occurred. Forty-three patients (42%) met a defined benchmark for humidification compliance and contributed to per protocol (PP) analysis. Acute toxicities, hospitalizations, and feeding tube events were recorded prospectively. The McMaster University Head and Neck Radiotherapy Questionnaire (HNRQ) was used for patient-reported outcomes. The primary endpoint was area under the curve (AUC) for CMuc grade ≥2. Results: There were no significant differences in AUC for CMuc ≥2 between the 2 arms. Humidification patients had significantly fewer days in hospital (P=.017). In compliant PP patients, the AUC for CTCAE functional mucositis score (FMuc) ≥2 was significantly reduced (P=.009), and the proportion who never required a feeding tube was significantly greater (P=.04). HNRQ PP analysis estimates also in the direction favoring humidification with less symptom severity, although differences at most time points did not reach significance. Conclusions: TROG 07.03 has provided efficacy signals consistent with a role for humidification in reducing symptom burden from mucositis, but the influence of humidification compliance on the results moderates recommendations regarding its practical utility.

Background The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) has implemented a rapid hydration protocol that may reduce the time required to achieve urine specific gravity and pH targets prior to chemotherapy. Objective The aim of this study was to determine if a rapid hydration protocol resulted in a shorter time to chemotherapy administration and during peak staffing levels without increasing adverse effects. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted using data from electronic and paper medical charts, the hematology/oncology whiteboard, and video recordings. Patients who received cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, cisplatin and ifosfamide during the study period were included in the chart review. A urine specific gravity of ≤1.01, and in most cases a urine pH ≥7 was required to begin chemotherapy. Differences in time parameters between the standard and rapid hydration protocols were measured. Comparable parameters included the time from the start of pre-chemotherapy hydration to meeting urine targets, time from starting hydration to administration of chemotherapy, length of hospital stay and the number of chemotherapy administrations that were initiated prior to the nursing shift change at 19:30 h. Results Data were collected from 116 pre-chemotherapy intravenous hydration events administered to 25 different patients. There was a shorter time required to reach urine specific gravity and pH targets with the rapid hydration protocol compared to the standard hydration protocol, which translated into initiating chemotherapy sooner. There was also a shorter overall length of hospital stay and administration of chemotherapy occurred before the nursing shift change more often in the rapid hydration cohort compared to those patients who received the standard hydration protocol. There were no significant differences in adverse effects between the groups. Conclusion Patients receiving rapid hydration had a shorter time to chemotherapy administration and had a

Multidisciplinary cancer care requires the integration of teaching across established educational boundaries. Because exposure to oncology and radiation oncology is limited in the undergraduate medical curriculum, the authors introduced an oncology education initiative at their institution. They report on the addition of structured multidisciplinary oncology education to the required radiology core clerkship. An institutional-based cohort study of fourth-year medical students rotating through a required clerkship in radiology at Boston University School of Medicine was conducted, beginning with the class of 2007. An educational questionnaire measuring the perceived quality of oncology education before and after exposure to a structured didactic program was administered. Of the 149 fourth-year students, 121 (81%) have completed the didactics of the initiative. Although 68 of 121 (56%) students reported having limited exposure to cancer care in the clinical years, 107 of 121 (88%) were motivated to learn more about the subject, and 100 of 121 (83%) reported a better understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of cancer care after this oncology education initiative. One hundred ten of 121 (91%) felt that the radiology clerkship was an opportune time to receive oncology and radiation oncology teaching. As a result of the initiative, 32% of the students pursued advanced training in radiation oncology. Of students who before the initiative were not planning on taking oncology electives, 70 of 99 (71%) agreed or strongly agreed that the lecture motivated them to learn more about the subject, and 43 of 99 (43%) agreed or strongly agreed that the lecture motivated them to take oncology electives. Systematic exposure to multidisciplinary oncology education as part of a radiology core clerkship provides an excellent opportunity for the integrated teaching of oncologic principles and patient management. This type of experience addresses an important yet underrepresented

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy of a hypofractionated radiation protocol for feline facial squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Twenty-five histologically confirmed SCCs in 15 cats were treated with four fractions of 7.6-10Gy each, with 1 week intervals. The equipment used was a linear accelerator Clinac 2100 delivering electron beam of 4 or 6MeV, and a bolus of 5 or 10mm was used in all lesions. Of the lesions, 44% were staged as T4, 16% as T3, 8% as T2 and 32% as T1. Of the irradiated lesions, 40% had complete response, 12% had partial response and 48% had no response (NR) to the treatment. For T1 tumors, 62.5% had complete remission. Mean overall survival time was 224 days. Owners requested euthanasia of cats having NR to the treatment. Mean disease free time was 271 days. Side effects observed were skin erythema, epilation, ulceration and conjunctivitis, which were graded according to Veterinary Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (VRTOG) toxicity criteria. Response rates found in this study (52%) were lower when compared to other protocols, probably due to technique differences, such as fractionation schedule, bolus thickness and energy penetration depth. However, the hypofractionated radiation protocol was considered safe for feline facial SCC. Modifications of this protocol are being planned with the objective of improving the cure rates in the future.

This review article, the second in a series of articles to examine the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Guidelines for the Use of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition in Adult and Pediatric Patients, evaluates the evidence related to the use of nutrition support in surgical oncology patients. Cancer patients develop complex nutrition issues. Nutrition support may be indicated in malnourished cancer patients undergoing surgery, depending on individual patient characteristics. As with the first article in this series, this article provides background concerning nutrition issues in cancer patients, as well as discusses the role of nutrition support in the care of surgical cancer patients. The goal of this review is to enrich the discussion contained in the clinical guidelines as they relate to recommendations made for surgical patients, cite the primary literature more completely, and suggest updates to the guideline statements in light of subsequently published studies.

Introduction As part of the health care quality and safety policy in France, Professional Practice Assessment (P.P.A.) are mandatory in the health services 'certification' process. We present our study regarding the pertinence of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) indications in oncology. Materials and methods A multidisciplinary task group used the Quick Audit method with two rounds of 100 request forms each. The assessment list of criteria comprised four items of decreasing relevance grading the PET scans clinical indications, which were derived from the three French published guidelines (S.O.R. [F.N.C.L.C.C]., 'Guide du bon usage des examens d'imagerie medicale' [S.F.R.-S.F.M.N.], 'Guide pour la redaction de protocoles pour la TEP au F.D.G. en cancerologie' [S.F.M.N.]) and five additional items: clinical information, patient's body weight, previous treatments dates, diabetes, claustrophobia. Results The first round showed that 68% of the requested scans corresponded to the two most relevant groups of indications (S.O.R. Standards and Options). The request forms were correctly filled in regarding the clinical information, but this was not the case for the other items we tested. Several actions were conducted: dedicated PET request form, availability of the S.O.R. on the hospital intranet, boost of the referring physicians awareness during the multidisciplinary oncology meetings (Reunions de Concertation Pluridisciplinaires RCP). The second round showed a better pertinence of the PET scans indications (75% versus 68%); the patient's body weight was more frequently mentioned on the request form. Discussion This study is an example of P.P.A. in our discipline. It led to an improvement of the oncologic PET scans clinical indications in our hospital. This work is pursued in everyday discussion with the referring clinicians, especially during the RCP. (authors)

Full Text Available Abstract Background Compared to those in higher socioeconomic groups, diabetic patients in lower socioeconomic groups have less favourable metabolic control and experience more diabetes-related complications. They encounter specific barriers that hinder optimal diabetes self-management, including a lack of social support and other psychosocial mechanisms in their immediate social environments. Powerful Together with Diabetes is a culturally sensitive social network intervention specifically targeted to ethnic Dutch, Moroccan, Turkish, and Surinamese diabetic patients in lower socioeconomic groups. For ten months, patients will participate in peer support groups in which they will share experiences, support each other in maintaining healthy lifestyles, and learn skills to resist social pressure. At the same time, their significant others will also receive an intervention, aimed at maximizing support for and minimizing the negative social influences on diabetes self-management. This study aims to test the effectiveness of Powerful Together with Diabetes. Methods/Design We will use a quasi-experimental design with an intervention group (Group 1 and two comparison groups (Groups 2 and 3, N = 128 in each group. Group 1 will receive Powerful Together with Diabetes. Group 2 will receive Know your Sugar, a six-week group intervention that does not focus on the participants' social environments. Group 3 receives standard care only. Participants in Groups 1 and 2 will be interviewed and physically examined at baseline, 3, 10, and 16 months. We will compare their haemoglobin A1C levels with the haemoglobin A1C levels of Group 3. Main outcome measures are haemoglobin A1C, diabetes-related quality of life, diabetes self-management, health-related, and intermediate outcome measures. We will conduct a process evaluation and a qualitative study to gain more insights into the intervention fidelity, feasibility, and changes in the psychosocial mechanism in the

Since 2003, genetics and genomics information has led to exciting new diagnostics, prognostics, and treatment options in oncology practice. Profiling of cancers offers providers insight into treatment and prognostic factors. Germline testing provides an individual with information for surveillance or therapy that may help them prevent cancer in their lifetime and options for family members as yet untouched by malignancy. This offers a challenge for oncology nurses and other oncology health care providers to become comfortable with incorporating education about genetics/genomics into their clinical practice and patient education.

Fluorodeoxyglucose-PET is increasingly being integrated into multiple aspects of oncology. PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) has become especially important in radiation oncology. With the increasing use of advanced techniques like intensity-modulated radiation therapy and proton therapy, PET/CT scans have played critical roles in the target delineation of tumors for radiation oncologists delivering conformal treatment techniques. Use of PET/CT is well established in lung cancer and several other thoracic malignancies. This article details the current uses of PET/CT in thoracic radiation oncology with a focus on lung cancer and describes expected future roles of PET/CT for thoracic tumors.

To comply with legal mandates, meet local management objectives, or both, many federal, state, and tribal organizations have monitoring groups that assess stream habitat at different scales. This myriad of groups has difficulty sharing data and scaling up stream habitat assessments to regional or national levels because of differences in their goals and data collection...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in developed countries. There is an increasing interest in the use of mindfulness-related interventions in the management of patients with a chronic disease. In addition, interventions that promote personal control, stress-management and other lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, assist in reducing disability and improving quality of life in people with chronic illnesses. There has been little research in this area for people with PD. A prospective mixed-method randomised clinical trial involving community living adults with PD aged benefits of, and barriers to, the uptake of the intervention. This protocol has received ethics approval from the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee project number CF11/2662-2011001553. This is the first research of its kind in Australia involving a comprehensive, lifestyle-based programme for people with PD and has the potential to involve a broader range of providers than standard care. The findings will be disseminated through peer reviewed journals, primary care conferences in Australia as well as abroad and through the Parkinson's community. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12612000440820.

A domestic multicenter phase I study of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for T2N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer in inoperable patients or elderly patients who refused surgery was initiated as the Japan Clinical OncologyGroup trial (JCOG0702) in Japan. Prior to the clinical study, the accuracy of dose calculation in radiation treatment-planning systems was surveyed in participating institutions, and differences in the irradiating dose between the institutions were investigated. We developed a water tank-type lung phantom appropriate for verification of the exposure dose in lung SBRT. Using this water tank-type lung phantom, the dose calculated in the radiation treatment-planning system and the measured dose using a free air ionization chamber and dosimetric film were compared in a visiting survey of the seven institutions participating in the clinical study. In all participating institutions, differences between the calculated and the measured dose in the irradiation plan were as follows: the accuracy of the absolute dose in the center of the simulated tumor measured using a free air ionization chamber was within 2%, the mean gamma value was ≤ 0.47 on gamma analysis following the local dose criteria, and the pass rate was >87% for 3%/3 mm from measurement of dose distribution with dosimetric film. These findings confirmed the accuracy of delivery doses in the institutions participating in the clinical study, so that a study with integration of the institutions could be initiated.

Full Text Available Objective: Survival benefit with adjuvant therapy was shown in patients with Stage III colorectal cancer (CRC. This study evaluates long-term (10-year outcome in patients with CRC randomly assigned to adjuvant 5-Fluorouracil/Leucovorin (5FU+LV or 5-FU/Levamisole (5FU+LEV.Methods: Between 1990 and 1995, 398 patients with curatively resected Stage II-III CRC were randomly assigned to adjuvant 5FU+LV or 5FU+LEV for 12 months.Results: No difference was evident in 10-year relapse-free or overall survival between study groups. Grade III toxicity was similar between groups; however, neurotoxicity was significantly greater with 5FU+LEV (p=0.02 and gastrointestinal toxicity with 5FU+LV (p=0.03. Female patients treated with 5FU+LEV had improved overall survival.Conclusions: Adjuvant treatment of CRC is still based on leucovorin modulated fluorouracil. The long-term follow-up results of this trial indicate that the adjuvant treatment of Stage II-III CRC with 5FU+LV or 5FU+LEV is equally effective. The finding of improved survival in female subjects treated with 5FU+LEV warrants further study to determine if Levamisole is a better modulator of 5-FU than Leucovorin in this patient subset.

Objective: Survival benefit with adjuvant therapy was shown in patients with Stage III colorectal cancer (CRC). This study evaluates long-term (10-year) outcome in patients with CRC randomly assigned to adjuvant 5-Fluorouracil/Leucovorin (5FU+LV) or 5-FU/Levamisole (5FU+LEV). Methods: Between 1990 and 1995, 398 patients with curatively resected Stage II-III CRC were randomly assigned to adjuvant 5FU+LV or 5FU+LEV for 12 months. Results: No difference was evident in 10-year relapse-free or overall survival between study groups. Grade III toxicity was similar between groups; however, neurotoxicity was significantly greater with 5FU+LEV (p=0.02) and gastrointestinal toxicity with 5FU+LV (p=0.03). Female patients treated with 5FU+LEV had improved overall survival. Conclusions: Adjuvant treatment of CRC is still based on leucovorin modulated fluorouracil. The long-term follow-up results of this trial indicate that the adjuvant treatment of Stage II-III CRC with 5FU+LV or 5FU+LEV is equally effective. The finding of improved survival in female subjects treated with 5FU+LEV warrants further study to determine if Levamisole is a better modulator of 5-FU than Leucovorin in this patient subset. PMID:21475636

The profile of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has risen dramatically over recent years, with cancer patients representing some of the highest users of any patient group. This article reports the results from a series of in-depth interviews with oncology consultants and oncology nurses in two hospitals in Australia. Analysis identifies a range of self-reported approaches with which oncology clinicians discuss CAM, highlighting the potential implications for patient care and inter-professional dynamics. The interview data suggest that, whilst there are a range of consultant approaches to CAM, ;risk' is consistently deployed rhetorically as a key regulatory strategy to frame CAM issues and potentially direct patient behaviour. Moreover, ;irrationality', ;seeking control', and ;desperation' were viewed by consultants as the main drivers of CAM use, presenting potential difficulties for effective doctor-patient dialogue about CAM. In contrast, oncology nurses appear to perceive their role as that of CAM and patient advocate - an approach disapproved of by the consultants on their respective teams, presenting implications for oncology teamwork. CAM education emerged as a contentious and crucial issue for oncology clinicians. Yet, while viewed as a key barrier to clinician-patient communication about CAM, various forms of individual and organizational resistance to CAM education were evident. A number of core issues for clinical practice and broader work in the sociology of CAM are discussed in light of these findings.

Full Text Available Paolo Tralongo1, Francesco Ferraù2, Nicolò Borsellino3, Francesco Verderame4, Michele Caruso5, Dario Giuffrida6, Alfredo Butera7, Vittorio Gebbia81Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale, Siracusa; 2Medical Oncology Unit, Ospedale San Vincenzo, Taormina; 3Medical Oncology Unit, Ospedale Buccheri La Ferla, Palermo; 4Medical Oncology Unit, Ospedale Giovanni Paolo II, Sciacca; 5Medical Oncology Unit, Istituto Humanitas, Catania; 6Medical Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico del Mediterraneo, Catania; 7Medical Oncology Unit, Ospedale San Giovanni di Dio, Agrigento; 8Medical Oncology Unit, Dipartimento Oncologico, La Maddalena, Università degli Studi, Palermo, ItalyAbstract: Patient-centered home care is a new model of assistance, which may be integrated with more traditional hospital-centered care especially in selected groups of informed and trained patients. Patient-centered care is based on patients' needs rather than on prognosis, and takes into account the emotional and psychosocial aspects of the disease. This model may be applied to elderly patients, who present comorbid diseases, but it also fits with the needs of younger fit patients. A specialized multidisciplinary team coordinated by experienced medical oncologists and including pharmacists, psychologists, nurses, and social assistance providers should carry out home care. Other professional figures may be required depending on patients' needs. Every effort should be made to achieve optimal coordination between the health professionals and the reference hospital and to employ shared evidence-based guidelines, which in turn guarantee safety and efficacy. Comprehensive care has to be easily accessible and requires a high level of education and knowledge of the disease for both the patients and their caregivers. Patient-centered home care represents an important tool to improve quality of life and help cancer patients while also being cost effective.Keywords: cancer, home care

As the morbidity and mortality associated with communicable diseases continue to decrease in the developing world, the medical burden of childhood cancer continues to expand. Although international aid and relief groups such as the World Health Organization recognize the importance of childhood cancer, their main emphasis is on the more easily treated malignancies, such as leukemias and lymphomas, and not pediatric brain tumors, which are the second most common malignancy in children and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the pediatric population. Addressing the needs of these children is a growing concern of several professional neuro-oncology-related societies. Thus, the goal of this review is to describe the current state of pediatric neuro-oncology care in the developing world, address the current and future needs of the field, and help guide professional societies' efforts to contribute in a more holistic and multidisciplinary manner. We reviewed the literature to compare the availability of neuro-oncology care in various regions of the developing world with that in higher income nations, to describe examples of successful initiatives, and to present opportunities to improve care. The current challenges, previous successes, and future opportunities to improve neuro-oncology care are presented. The multidisciplinary nature of neuro-oncology depends on large teams of highly specialized individuals, including neuro-oncologists, neurosurgeons, neurologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, palliative care specialists, oncology nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, pediatric intensivists, and social workers, among others. Pediatric neuro-oncology is one of the most complex types of medical care to deliver, as it relies on numerous specialists, subspecialists, support staff, and physical resources and infrastructure. However, with increasing collaboration and advancing technologies, developed nations

Objective Because the cancer population is aging, interprofessional education incorporating geriatric principles is essential to providing adequate training for oncology fellows. We report the targeted needs assessment, content, and evaluation tools for our geriatric oncology curriculum at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Methods A team comprising a geriatrician, a medical oncologist, an oncology PharmD, an oncology advanced nurse practitioner, and two oncology chief fellows developed the geriatric oncology curriculum. First, a general needs assessment was conducted by reviewing the literature and medical societies’ publications and by consulting experts. A targeted needs assessment was then conducted by reviewing the fellows’ evaluations of the geriatric oncology rotation and by interviewing fellows and recently graduated oncology faculty. Results Geriatric assessment, pharmacology, and psychosocial knowledge skills were the three identified areas of educational need. Curriculum objectives and an evaluation checklist were developed to evaluate learners in the three identified areas. The checklist content was validated by consulting experts in the field. Online materials, including a curriculum, a geriatric pharmacology job aid, and pharmacology cases, were also developed and delivered as part of the curriculum. Conclusion An interprofessional team approach was a successful method for identifying areas of learners’ educational needs, which in turn helped us develop an integrated geriatric oncology curriculum. The curriculum is currently being piloted and evaluated. PMID:25487037

Radiation therapy remains a highly effective therapy for many pediatric central nervous system tumors. With more children achieving long-term survival after treatment for brain tumors, late-effects of radiation have become an important concern. In response to this problem, treatment protocols for a variety of pediatric central nervous system tumors have evolved to reduce radiation fields and doses when possible. Recent advances in radiation technology such as image guidance and proton therapy have led to a new era of precision treatment with significantly less exposure to healthy tissues. These developments along with the promise of molecular classification of tumors and targeted therapies point to an optimistic future for pediatric neuro-oncology.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased globally, particularly among oncology patients. This study investigated the knowledge, experience and attitudes of oncology nurses towards CAM. A quantitative study was conducted in tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan, where 132 oncology nurses were surveyed. The survey revealed that more than 50% of nurses had never heard about many of the CAM therapies used in Pakistan. Approximately 65% of the nurses had knowledge about prayer and less than 30% had experience of CAM education or training. In addition, the majority of nurses had seen patients using CAM and felt that their health status could be enhanced with the use of CAM. This study showed that oncology nurses had a positive experience of and attitude towards CAM, although they needed to enhance their knowledge of it to maximise patient satisfaction and quality of care.

Objective: The outcomes of a Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat (SWOT) analysis of three Integrated Oncological Departments were compared with their present situation three years later to define factors that can influence a successful implementation and development of an Integrated

Purpose The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has established communication as a core competency for physicians in training. However, data suggest that most pediatric residents perceive inadequate training in the delivery of bad news and the majority of former trainees in pediatric oncology received no formal training in the delivery of bad news during fellowship. The study examines communication training in ACGME accredited US pediatric hematology-oncology (PHO) fellowship programs. Methods An online survey was distributed to 315 PHO fellows in training via the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) fellow email registry. Each fellow received an initial request to participate and 2 reminders, while participation was encouraged through a random incentive drawing. Results One hundred and ten fellows (35%) responded. Eighty percent of respondents perceived communication training to be important to fellow education, however only 32% reported receiving communication training (other than direct observation). The most common reported teaching method of fellowship communication training was formal lecture (42%). Twenty-three percent of respondents reported neither communication training nor frequent feedback on their communication skills from faculty observation. This same group was the least satisfied with their programs’ approach to teaching communication (P communication training in PHO fellowships despite ACGME requirements and fellows’ interest in this training. Didactic learning remains the most frequently described training method, yet educational theory identifies the limitation of didactic lectures alone. Communication training employing novel teaching methods and emphasizing communication challenges identified by fellows should be developed and evaluated. PMID:24039096

Full Text Available The study aimed to identify, in the literature, the main factors causing burnout in health professionals, mainly nurses working in oncology units. This is an integrative review, which used the methodological steps of Ganong. We searched an electronic search for articles indexed in the databases Web of Science, PubMed Central and Virtual Health Library, published between 2010 and 2015. We used, in different combinations, controlled descriptors: burnout, nursing and oncology. The final sample consisted of 18 articles. The highest number of publications, four articles (22.2% in each year, occurred in 2010 and 2013, mainly in the United States (n=5, 27.8% and Australia (n = 3, 16.6%. Dealing with the worsening of the patient's disease and death were considered the main burnout causing factors. The implementation of professional appreciation programs and psychosocial support groups for nursing staff have the potential to assist in the development of mechanisms to handle difficult situations that permeate the daily life of oncology nursing.

Malnutrition occurs frequently in patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal (GI) or head and neck area and can lead to negative outcomes. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of early and intensive nutrition intervention (NI) on body weight, body composition, nutritional status, global quality of life (QoL) and physical function compared to usual practice in oncology outpatients receiving radiotherapy to the GI or head and neck area. Outpatients commencing at least 20 fractions of radiotherapy to the GI or head and neck area were randomised to receive intensive, individualised nutrition counselling by a dietitian using a standard protocol and oral supplements if required, or the usual practice of the centre (general advice and nutrition booklet). Outcome parameters were measured at baseline and 4, 8 and 12 weeks after commencing radiotherapy using valid and reliable tools. A total of 60 patients (51 M : 9 F; mean age 61.9+/-14.0 years) were randomised to receive either NI (n=29) or usual care (UC) (n=31). The NI group had statistically smaller deteriorations in weight (P<0.001), nutritional status (P=0.020) and global QoL (P=0.009) compared with those receiving UC. Clinically, but not statistically significant differences in fat-free mass were observed between the groups (P=0.195). Early and intensive NI appears beneficial in terms of minimising weight loss, deterioration in nutritional status, global QoL and physical function in oncology outpatients receiving radiotherapy to the GI or head and neck area. Weight maintenance in this population leads to beneficial outcomes and suggests that this, rather than weight gain, may be a more appropriate aim of NI.

Measures of treatment intensity for childhood cancer are needed in research in order to control for variability in treatments. Existing measures of treatment intensity for childhood cancers do not reflect the complexities of treatment protocols for central nervous system (CNS) tumors. This paper describes the development of the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Rating of Treatment Intensity (PNORTI). PNORTI development occurred in three phases. Phase 1: five experts in pediatric neuro-oncology created a 5-point scale of treatment intensity and 42 pediatric neuro-oncology providers completed a three-part online questionnaire to evaluate the classification system and apply the rating system to 16 sample patients. Validity was determined by respondents classifying therapy modalities into intensity levels. Inter-rater reliability was calculated from ratings of the 16 sample patients. Phase 2: three experts revised the PNORTI based on survey results and 18 pediatric neuro-oncology providers evaluated the classification system. Phase 3: ten experts in pediatric neuro-oncology refined and finalized the PNORTI and rated 10 sample patients using the PNORTI. Agreement between median ratings of the survey respondents and criterion raters for chemotherapy intensity (r's = .82 and 1.0) and overall treatment intensity level (r's = .91 and .94) were high in Phases 1 and 2. Inter-rater reliability also was very high when using the PNORTI to classify the 16 sample patients in Phase 1 (median agreement of r = .93 and rICC = .99) and the 10 sample patients in Phase 3 (median agreement of r = .92 and rICC = .98). The PNORTI is a valid and reliable method for classifying the intensity of different treatment modalities used in pediatric neuro-oncology.

The 2012 Radiation Oncology Workforce survey was conducted to assess the current state of the entire workforce, predict its future needs and concerns, and evaluate quality improvement and safety within the field. This article describes the dosimetrist segment results. The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Workforce Subcommittee, in conjunction with other specialty societies, conducted an online survey targeting all segments of the radiation oncology treatment team. The data from the dosimetrist respondents are presented in this article. Of the 2573 dosimetrists who were surveyed, 890 responded, which resulted in a 35% segment response rate. Most respondents were women (67%), whereas only a third were men (33%). More than half of the medical dosimetrists were older than 45 years (69.2%), whereas the 45 to 54 years age group represented the highest percentage of respondents (37%). Most medical dosimetrists stated that their workload was appropriate (52%), with respondents working a reported average of 41.7 ± 4 hours per week. Overall, 86% of medical dosimetrists indicated that they were satisfied with their career, and 69% were satisfied in their current position. Overall, 61% of respondents felt that there was an oversupply of medical dosimetrists in the field, 14% reported that supply and demand was balanced, and the remaining 25% felt that there was an undersupply. The medical dosimetrists' greatest concerns included documentation/paperwork (78%), uninsured patients (80%), and insufficient reimbursement rates (87%). This survey provided an insight into the dosimetrist perspective of the radiation oncology workforce. Though an overwhelming majority has conveyed satisfaction concerning their career, the study allowed a spotlight to be placed on the profession's current concerns, such as insufficient reimbursement rates and possible oversupply of dosimetrists within the field.

From now on the introduction of social and human sciences studies in the field of oncology has not always been conclusive. This article aims to analyze the bounds that border the meeting and the understanding between physicians, patients and anthropologists. It also treats the problems due to the introduction of applied anthropology in the field of oncology and points up the interests and practical contributions that this disciplinary bring and could bring.

There is currently no standard therapy to reduce the recurrence rate after surgery for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The aim of this study was to assess efficacy and safety of adjuvant treatment with low doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2)+interferon-α (IFN-α) in operable RCC. The patients were randomized 1:1 to receive a 4-week cycle of low-dose IL-2+IFN-α or observation after primary surgery for RCC. Treatment cycles were repeated every 4 months for the first 2 years and every 6 months for the subsequent 3 years. The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival (RFS); safety; and overall survival (OS) were secondary endpoints. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number was NCT00502034. 303/310 randomized patients (156 in the immunotherapy arm and 154 in the observation group) were evaluable at the intention-to-treat analyses. The 2 arms were well balanced. At a median follow-up of 52 months (range, 12-151 mo), RFS, and OS were similar, with an estimated hazard ratio (HR) of 0.84 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.54-1.31; P=0.44] and of 1.07 (95% CI, 0.64-1.79; P=0.79), respectively in the 2 groups. Unplanned, subgroup analysis showed a positive effect of the treatment for patients with age 60 years and younger, pN0, tumor grades 1-2, and pT3a stage. Among patients with the combined presence of ≥ 2 of these factors, immunotherapy had a positive effect on RFS (HR=0.44; 95% CI, 0.24-0.82; P ≤ 0.01), whereas patients with <2 factors in the treatment arm exhibited a significant poorer OS (HR=2.27; 95% CI, 1.03-5.03 P=0.037). Toxicity of immunotherapy was mild and limited to World Health Organization grade 1-2 in most cases. Adjuvant immunotherapy with IL-2+IFN-α showed no RFS or OS improvement in RCC patients who underwent radical surgery. The results of subset analysis here presented are only hypothesis generating.

We report a retrospective analysis of 53 haematopoietic stem cell transplants for inherited metabolic disorders performed at ANZCHOG transplant centres between 1992 and 2008. Indications for transplant included Hurler syndrome, ALD, and MLD. The majority of transplants utilized unrelated donor stem cells (66%) with 65% of those being unrelated cord blood. Conditioning therapy was largely myeloablative, with Bu plus another cytotoxic agent used in 89% of recipients. Primary graft failure was rare, occurring in three patients, all of whom remain long-term survivors following the second transplant. The CI of grade II-IV and grade III-IV acute GVHD at day +100 was 39% and 14%, respectively. Chronic GVHD occurred in 17% of recipients. TRM was 12% at day +100 and 19% at one yr post-transplant. OS at five yr was 78% for the cohort, 73% for patients with ALD and 83% for patients with Hurler syndrome. There was no statistically significant difference in overall survival between unrelated marrow and unrelated cord blood donor groups. The development of interstitial pneumonitis was an independent variable shown to significantly impact on TRM and OS. In summary, we report a large cohort of patients with inherited metabolic disorders with excellent survival post-allogeneic transplant.

Full Text Available Tim D. Hewitson & Ian A. Darby (Eds Humana press, Totowa, New Jersey (USA Series: Springer Protocols Methods in Molecular Biology, Volume 611, 2010 Pages: 230; € 83.15 ISBN: 978-1-60327-344-2 Impressive as it can sounds in the era that Biology see a clear dominance of reductionism with the idea that complexity can be disentagled more and more thanks to the use of molecular tools, the reader will remain fascinated by this slim and agile volume devoted to bring together what apparently are two separeted words: molecular biology and histology. Simply remembering to the youngest scientists.....

In 1999, the National Representatives of European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) created a Palliative Care Working Group to improve the delivery of supportive and palliative care (S + PC) by oncologists, oncology departments and cancer centers. They have addressed this task through initiatives in policy, education, research and incentives. As an incentive program for oncology departments and centers, ESMO developed a program of Designated Centers (DCs) for programs meeting predetermined targets of service development and delivery of a high level of S + PC. The history, accreditation criteria and implementation of the DC incentive program is described. Since 2004, 75 centers have applied for designation and 48 have been accredited including 34 comprehensive cancer centers (CCCs) in general hospitals and seven freestanding CCCs. Perceived benefits accrued from the accreditation included the following: improved status and role identification of the center, positive impact on daily work, positive impact on business activity and positive impact on funding for projects. The accreditation of DCs has been a central to the ESMO initiative to improve the palliative care provided by oncologists and oncology centers. It is likely that many other oncology departments and cancer centers already meet the criteria and ESMO strongly encourages them to apply for accreditation.

Background The prognostic value of histologic response for osteosarcoma may have changed with induction chemotherapy schedules over time. We hypothesized that the increased intensity of induction therapy provided on INT0133 compared to the Children’s Cancer Group study CCG-782 would diminish the impact of histologic response on the risk of events after definitive surgery. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed for patients aged osteosarcoma enrolled on CCG-782 and INT0133. Clinical factors were evaluated for association with response and outcome. Good response was defined as <5% viable tumor at resection. Associations of response, study, and post-definitive surgery event-free survival (EFS-DS)were determined using Cox proportional hazard models. EFS-DS was estimated by Kaplan–Meier methodology. Results Data were available for 814 patients (206 CCG-782, 608 INT0133). For good responders, 10-year EFS-DS (±SE) was 75.4% ± 7.7% for CCG-782 and 70.8% ± 3.1% for INT0133. For poor responders, 10-year EFS-DS was 39.9% ± 4.9% for CCG-782 and 58.4% ± 3.1% for INT0133. Histologic response predicted outcome across studies (P < 0.0001). Significant interaction between study and histologic response was observed for EFS-DS (P = 0.011). Using proportional hazards regression, INT0133 poor responders had less risk of events compared to CCG-782 poor responders (relative hazard ratio (RHR) = 0.6:1), but good responders on INT0133 had a greater risk of events compared to CCG-782 good responders (RHR = 1.53:1). Conclusion We observed an inverse relationship between the predictive value of tumor necrosis and intensity of induction therapy, raising questions about the true prognostic value of histologic response. This highlights the need for novel markers to develop strategies for treatment in future trials. PMID:27128693

Given the dramatic demographic shift observed in developed countries, the medical community, especially oncologists, geriatricians, and primary care providers, are confronted with the expanding challenge of the management of elderly people with cancer. Ageing is associated with the accumulation of multiple and various medical and social problems. With a prevalence comparable to that of other chronic conditions in this age group, such as diabetes or dementia, cancer holds a prominent place among diseases of the elderly. The care of elderly cancer patients is fundamentally interdisciplinary. Communication and collaboration between geriatricians/primary care providers and oncologists represent key features of effective care in geriatric oncology. The combination of the disease-oriented approach of oncologists and the patient-oriented approach of geriatricians is the most powerful way to better serve this specific population. The medical approach of elderly cancer patients should ideally be under the lead of geriatricians or primary care providers sensitive to geriatric issues. Oncologists should manage the biologic consequences of the interplay between cancer and ageing. Close collaboration between clinicians will help promote active dedicated clinical research and the development of guidelines on the management of elderly people with cancer.

Chronic heart failure in Baltic Sea Region is responsible for more hospitalisations than all forms of cancer combined and is one of the leading causes of hospitalisations in elderly patients. Frequent hospitalisations, along with other direct and indirect costs, place financial burden on healthcare systems. We aim to test the hypothesis that telemedicine and distance learning applications is superior to the current standard of home care. Prospective parallel group non-randomised open label study in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) II-III chronic heart failure will be carried out in six Baltic Sea Region countries. The study is organised into two 6-month follow-up periods. The first 6-month period is based on active implementation of tele-education and/or telemedicine for patients in two groups (active run period) and one standard care group (passive run period). The second 6-month period of observation will be based on standard care model (passive run period) to all three groups. Our proposed practice change is based on translational research with empirically supported interventions brought to practice and aims to find the home care model that is most effective to patient needs. This study has been approved by National Bioethics Committee (2011-03-07; Registration No: BE-2-11). This study has been registered in Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) with registration number ACTRN12611000834954.

seeking to reduce or quit their cannabis use. Moreover, we seek to gain knowledge about the programme's utility within different settings of the German help system for young cannabis users and information about the settings' specific clientele. The study protocol is discussed with regard to potential difficulties within the different settings. Trial registration ISRCTN: ISRCTN57036983

Full Text Available Abstract Background The growing number of people with dementia, and the increasing cost of care, provides a major incentive to develop and test methods of supporting them in the community for longer. Most attention has been given to pharmacological interventions, but there is increasing recognition that psychosocial interventions may be equally effective, even preferable where medication has negative side-effects. Reminiscence groups, run by professionals and volunteers, which use photographs, recordings and other objects to trigger personal memories are probably the most popular therapeutic approach to working with people with dementia, but there is little evidence for their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. The recent inclusion of family carers in groups with people with dementia, notably in our own pilot studies, has generated informal evidence that this joint approach improves relationships between people with dementia and their carers, and benefits both. Design and methods This multi-centre, pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of joint reminiscence groups for people with dementia and their family care-givers has two parallel arms – an intervention group and a control group who receive care as usual. The intervention consists of joint reminiscence groups held weekly for twelve consecutive weeks, followed by monthly maintenance sessions for a further seven months. The primary outcome measures are the quality of life of people with dementia, as assessed by QoL-AD, and their care-givers' mental health as assessed by the GHQ-28. Secondary outcomes include: the autobiographical memories of people with dementia; the quality of the relationship between them and their care-givers; and the levels of depression and anxiety felt by them and their care-giver. Using a 5% significance level, comparison of 200 pairs attending joint reminiscence groups with 200 pairs receiving usual treatment

A study comparing the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and small group instruction found no significant difference in medical student achievement in oncology but higher achievement through small-group instruction in hematology. Students did not view CAI as more effective, but saw it as a supplement to traditional methods. (MSE)

Self-monitoring of hypertension with self-titration of antihypertensives (self-management) results in lower systolic blood pressure for at least one year. However, few people in high risk groups have been evaluated to date and previous work suggests a smaller effect size in these groups. This trial therefore aims to assess the added value of self-management in high risk groups over and above usual care. The targets and self-management for the control of blood pressure in stroke and at risk groups (TASMIN-SR) trial will be a pragmatic primary care based, unblinded, randomised controlled trial of self-management of blood pressure (BP) compared to usual care. Eligible patients will have a history of stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes or chronic kidney disease and will be recruited from primary care. Participants will be individually randomised to either usual care or self-management. The primary outcome of the trial will be difference in office SBP between intervention and control groups at 12 months adjusted for baseline SBP and covariates. 540 patients will be sufficient to detect a difference in SBP between self-management and usual care of 5 mmHg with 90% power. Secondary outcomes will include self-efficacy, lifestyle behaviours, health-related quality of life and adverse events. An economic analysis will consider both within trial costs and a model extrapolating the results thereafter. A qualitative analysis will gain insights into patients' views, experiences and decision making processes. The results of the trial will be directly applicable to primary care in the UK. If successful, self-management of blood pressure in people with stroke and other high risk conditions would be applicable to many hundreds of thousands of individuals in the UK and beyond. ISRCTN87171227.

Full Text Available Objective – The study aimed to develop a search protocol and evaluate reviewers' satisfaction with an evidence-based practice (EBP review by embedding a library science student in the process.Methods – The student was embedded in one of four review teams overseen by a professional organization for oncology nurses (ONS. A literature search protocol was developed by the student following discussion and feedback from the review team. Organization staff provided process feedback. Reviewers from both case and control groups completed a questionnaire to assess satisfaction with the literature search phases of the review process. Results – A protocol was developed and refined for use by future review teams. The collaboration and the resulting search protocol were beneficial for both the student and the review team members. The questionnaire results did not yield statistically significant differences regarding satisfaction with the search process between case and control groups. Conclusions – Evidence-based reviewers' satisfaction with the literature searching process depends on multiple factors and it was not clear that embedding an LIS specialist in the review team improved satisfaction with the process. Future research with more respondents may elucidate specific factors that may impact reviewers' assessment.

Purpose: The study was designed to determine whether response-based therapy improves outcomes in intermediate-risk Hodgkin lymphoma. We examined patterns of first relapse in the study. Patients and Methods: From September 2002 to July 2010, 1712 patients <22 years old with stage I-IIA with bulk, I-IIAE, I-IIB, and IIIA-IVA with or without doxorubicin, bleomycin, vincristine, etoposide, prednisone, and cyclophosphamide were enrolled. Patients were categorized as rapid (RER) or slow early responders (SER) after 2 cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vincristine, etoposide, prednisone, and cyclophosphamide (ABVE-PC). The SER patients were randomized to 2 additional ABVE-PC cycles or augmented chemotherapy with 21 Gy involved field radiation therapy (IFRT). RER patients were stipulated to undergo 2 additional ABVE-PC cycles and were then randomized to 21 Gy IFRT or no further treatment if complete response (CR) was achieved. RER without CR patients were non-randomly assigned to 21 Gy IFRT. Relapses were characterized without respect to site (initial, new, or both; and initial bulk or initial nonbulk), and involved field radiation therapy field (in-field, out-of-field, or both). Patients were grouped by treatment assignment (SER; RER/no CR; RER/CR/IFRT; and RER/CR/no IFRT). Summary statistics were reported. Results: At 4-year median follow-up, 244 patients had experienced relapse, 198 of whom were fully evaluable for review. Those who progressed during treatment (n=30) or lacked relapse imaging (n=16) were excluded. The median time to relapse was 12.8 months. Of the 198 evaluable patients, 30% were RER/no CR, 26% were SER, 26% were RER/CR/no IFRT, 16% were RER/CR/IFRT, and 2% remained uncategorized. The 74% and 75% relapses involved initially bulky and nonbulky sites, respectively. First relapses rarely occurred at exclusively new or out-of-field sites. By contrast, relapses usually occurred at nodal sites of initial bulky and nonbulky disease. Conclusion: Although

There are many radiological interventions necessary for pediatric oncology patients, some of which may be covered in other articles in this publication. I will discuss a number of interventions including percutaneous biopsy for solid tumor and hematological malignancy diagnosis or recurrence, for the diagnosis of graft versus host disease after stem cell or bone marrow transplantation, and for the diagnosis of complications of immunosuppression such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. In the past, tumor localization techniques have been necessary to biopsy or resect small lesions. However improved guidance techniques have allowed for more precise biopsy and the use of thermal ablation instead of excision for local tumor control. A percutaneously placed radio frequency, microwave, laser or cryogen probe can ablate the primary and metastatic tumors of the liver, lung, bone, kidney and other structures in children. This is an alternative treatment for the local control of tumors that may not be amenable to surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. I will also describe how chemoembolization can be used to treat primary or metastatic tumors of the liver that have failed other therapies. This treatment delivers chemotherapy in the hepatic artery infused with emboli to increase the dwell time and concentration of the agents.

Background A significant number of individuals suffer from plantar heel pain (PHP) and many go on to have chronic symptoms and continued disability. Persistence of symptoms adds to the economic burden of PHP and cost-effective solutions are needed. Currently, there is a wide variation in treatment, cost, and outcomes of care for PHP with limited information on the cost-effectiveness and comparisons of common treatment approaches. Two practice guidelines and recent evidence of effective physical therapy intervention are available to direct treatment but the timing and influence of physical therapy intervention in the multidisciplinary management of PHP is unclear. The purpose of this investigation is to compare the outcomes and costs associated with early physical therapy intervention (ePT) following initial presentation to podiatry versus usual podiatric care (uPOD) in individuals with PHP. Methods A parallel-group, block-randomized clinical trial will compare ePT and uPOD. Both groups will be seen initially by a podiatrist before allocation to a group that will receive physical therapy intervention consisting primarily of manual therapy, exercise, and modalities, or podiatric care consisting primarily of a stretching handout, medication, injections, and orthotics. Treatment in each group will be directed by practice guidelines and a procedural manual, yet the specific intervention for each participant will be selected by the treating provider. Between-group differences in the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure 6 months following the initial visit will be the primary outcome collected by an independent investigator. In addition, differences in the European Quality of Life – Five Dimensions, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Global Rating of Change (GROC), health-related costs, and cost-effectiveness at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year will be compared between groups. The association between successful outcomes based on GROC score and participant expectations of recovery

Many current challenges of evidence-based practice are related to ineffective social networks among health care professionals. Opportunities exist for multidisciplinary virtual communities to transcend professional and organizational boundaries and facilitate important knowledge transfer. Although health care professionals have been using the Internet to form virtual communities for many years, little is known regarding "why" they join, as most research has focused on the perspective of "posters," who form a minority of members. Our aim was to develop a comprehensive understanding of why health care professionals belong to a virtual community (VC). A qualitative approach will be used to explore why health care professionals belong to an intensive care practice-based VC, established since 2003. Three asynchronous online focus groups will be convened using a closed secure discussion forum. Participants will be recruited directly by sending emails to the VC and a Google form used to collect consent and participant demographics. Participants will be stratified by their online posting behaviors between September 1, 2012, and August 31, 2014: (1) more than 5 posts, (2) 1-5 posts, or (3) no posts. A question guide will be used to guide participant discussion. A moderation approach based on the principles of focus group method and e-moderation has been developed. The main source of data will be discussion threads, supported by a research diary and field notes. Data analysis will be undertaken using a thematic approach and framed by the Diffusion of Innovation theory. NVivo software will be used to support analyses. At the time of writing, 29 participants agreed to participate (Focus Group 1: n=4; Focus Group 2: n=16; Focus Group 3: n=9) and data collection was complete. This study will contribute to a growing body of research on the use of social media in professional health care settings. Specifically, we hope results will demonstrate an enhancement of health care

Background The Pre-Consultation Educational Group Intervention pilot study seeks to assess the feasibility and inform the optimal design for a definitive randomized controlled trial that aims to improve the quality of decision-making in postmastectomy breast reconstruction patients. Methods/design This is a mixed-methods pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial that will follow a single-center, 1:1 allocation, two-arm parallel group superiority design. Setting: The University Health Network, a tertiary care cancer center in Toronto, Canada. Participants: Adult women referred to one of three plastic and reconstructive surgeons for delayed breast reconstruction or prophylactic mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction. Intervention: We designed a multi-disciplinary educational group workshop that incorporates the key components of shared decision-making, decision-support, and psychosocial support for cancer survivors prior to the initial surgical consult. The intervention consists of didactic lectures by a plastic surgeon and nurse specialist on breast reconstruction choices, pre- and postoperative care; a value-clarification exercise led by a social worker; and discussions with a breast reconstruction patient. Control: Usual care includes access to an informational booklet, website, and patient volunteer if desired. Outcomes: Expected pilot outcomes include feasibility, recruitment, and retention targets. Acceptability of intervention and full trial outcomes will be established through qualitative interviews. Trial outcomes will include decision-quality measures, patient-reported outcomes, and service outcomes, and the treatment effect estimate and variability will be used to inform the sample size calculation for a full trial. Discussion Our pilot study seeks to identify the (1) feasibility, acceptability, and design of a definitive RCT and (2) the optimal content and delivery of our proposed educational group intervention. Thirty patients have been

Next generation sequencing technology is increasingly utilized in oncology with the goal of targeting therapeutics to improve response and reduce side effects. Interpretation of tumor mutations requires sequencing of paired germline DNA, raising questions about incidental germline findings. We describe our experiences as part of a research team implementing a protocol for whole genome sequencing (WGS) of tumors and paired germline DNA known as the Michigan Oncology Sequencing project (MI-ONCOSEQ) that includes options for receiving incidental germline findings. Genetic counselors (GCs) discuss options for return of results with patients during the informed consent process and document family histories. GCs also review germline findings and actively participate in the multi-disciplinary Precision Medicine Tumor Board (PMTB), providing clinical context for interpretation of germline results and making recommendations about disclosure of germline findings. GCs have encountered ethical and counseling challenges with participants, described here. Although GCs have not been traditionally involved in molecular testing of tumors, our experiences with MI-ONCOSEQ demonstrate that GCs have important applicable skills to contribute to multi-disciplinary care teams implementing precision oncology. Broader use of WGS in oncology treatment decision making and American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) recommendations for active interrogation of germline tissue in tumor-normal dyads suggests that GCs will have future opportunities in this area outside of research settings.

The use of clinical pathways in oncology care is increasingly important to patients and oncology providers as a tool for enhancing both quality and value. However, with increasing adoption of pathways into oncology practice, concerns have been raised by ASCO members and other stakeholders. These include the process being used for pathway development, the administrative burdens on oncology practices of reporting on pathway adherence, and understanding the true impact of pathway use on patient health outcomes. To address these concerns, ASCO's Board of Directors established a Task Force on Clinical Pathways, charged with articulating a set of recommendations to improve the development of oncology pathways and processes, allowing the demonstration of pathway concordance in a manner that promotes evidence-based, high-value care respecting input from patients, payers, and providers. These recommendations have been approved and adopted by ASCO's Board of Directors on August 12, 2015, and are presented herein.

Introduction A number of studies have established that children, adolescents and adults with Asperger syndrome (AS) and high functioning autism (HFA) have significant problems with anxiety. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for anxiety in a variety of clinical populations. There is a growing interest in exploring the effectiveness of CBT for people with AS who have mental health problems, but currently there are no known clinical trials involving adults with AS or HFA. Studies with children who have AS have reported some success. The current study aims to examine whether modified group CBT for clinically significant anxiety in an AS population is likely to be efficacious. Methods and analysis This study is a randomised, single-blind crossover trial. At least 36 individuals will be recruited and randomised into a treatment arm or a waiting-list control arm. During treatment, individuals will receive 3 sessions of individual CBT, followed by 21 sessions of group CBT. Primary outcome measures focus on anxiety. Secondary outcome measures focus on everyday social and psychiatric functioning, additional measures of anxiety and fear, depression, health-related quality of life and treatment cost. Assessments will be administered at pregroup and postgroup and at follow-up by researchers who are blinded to group allocation. The trial aims to find out whether or not psychological treatments for anxiety can be adapted and used to successfully treat the anxiety experienced by people with AS. Furthermore, we aim to determine whether this intervention represents good value for money. Ethics and dissemination The trial received a favourable ethical opinion from a National Health Service (NHS) Research Ethics Committee. All participants provided written informed consent. Findings will be shared with all trial participants, and the general public, as well as the scientific community. Trial Registration ISRCTN 30265294 (DOI: 10.1186/ISRCTN30265294), UKCRN

Introduction Functional somatic syndromes (FSS) are common in adolescents, characterised by severe disability and reduced quality of life. Behavioural treatments such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown promising results in children and adolescents with FSS, but has focused on specific syndromes such as functional pain. The current study will compare the efficacy of group-based ACT with that of enhanced usual care (EUC) in adolescents with a range of FSS operationalised by the unifying construct of multiorgan bodily distress syndrome (BDS). Methods and analysis A total of 120 adolescents aged 15–19 and diagnosed with multiorgan BDS, of at least 12 months duration, will be assessed and randomised to either: (1) EUC: a manualised consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist and individualised treatment plan or (2) manualised ACT-based group therapy plus EUC. The ACT programme consists of 9 modules (ie, 27 hours) and 1 follow-up meeting (3 hours). The primary outcome is physical health, assessed by an Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) aggregate score 12 months after randomisation. Secondary outcomes include self-reported symptom severity, symptom interference, depression and anxiety, illness worry, perceived stress and global improvement; as well as objective physical activity and bodily stress response measured by heart rate variability, hair cortisol and inflammatory biomarkers. Process measures are illness perception, illness-related behaviour and psychological flexibility. Ethics and dissemination The study is conducted in accordance with Helsinki Declaration II. Approval has been obtained from the Science Ethics Committee of the Central Denmark Region and the Danish Data Protection. The results will be sought to be published according to the CONSORT statement in peer-reviewed journals. Discussion This is one of the first larger randomised clinical trials evaluating the effect of a group-based intervention for adolescents with a

Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD is a progressive, chronic neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no known cure. Physical exercise programs may be used to assist with the physical management of PD. Several studies have demonstrated that community based physical therapy programs are effective in reducing physical aspects of disability among people with PD. While multidisciplinary therapy interventions may have the potential to reduce disability and improve the quality of life of people with PD, there is very limited clinical trial evidence to support or refute the use of a community based multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary programs for people with PD. A two group randomized trial is being undertaken within a community rehabilitation service in Brisbane, Australia. Community dwelling adults with a diagnosis of Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease are being recruited. Eligible participants are randomly allocated to a standard exercise rehabilitation group program or an intervention group which incorporates physical, cognitive and speech activities in a multi-tasking framework. Outcomes will be measured at 6-week intervals for a period of six months. Primary outcome measures are the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA and the Timed Up and Go (TUG cognitive test. Secondary outcomes include changes in health related quality of life, communication, social participation, mobility, strength and balance, and carer burden measures. This study will determine the immediate and long-term effectiveness of a unique multifocal, interdisciplinary, dual-tasking approach to the management of PD as compared to an exercise only program. We anticipate that the results of this study will have implications for the development of cost effective evidence based best practice for the treatment of people with PD living in the community.

BACKGROUND: Structured education programmes for individuals with Type 1 diabetes have become a recognised means of delivering the knowledge and skills necessary for optimal self-management of the condition. The Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) programme has been shown to improve biomedical (HbA(1c) and rates of severe hypoglycaemia) and psychosocial outcomes for up to 12 months following course delivery. The optimal way to support DAFNE graduates and maintain the benefits of the programme has not been established. We aimed to compare 2 different methods of follow-up of DAFNE graduates in a pragmatic clinical trial delivered in busy diabetes clinics on the island of Ireland. METHODS: Six participating centres were cluster randomised to deliver either group follow-up or a return to traditional one-to-one clinic visits. In the intervention arm group follow-up was delivered at 6 and 12 months post DAFNE training according to a curriculum developed for the study. In the control arm patients were seen individually in diabetes clinics as part of routine care. Study outcomes included HbA(1c) levels, self-reported rates of severe hypoglycaemia, body weight and measures of diabetes wellbeing and quality of life. These were measured at 6, 12 and 18 months after recruitment. Generalisability (external validity) was maximised by recruiting study participants from existing DAFNE waiting lists in each centre, by using broad inclusion criteria (including HbA(1c) values less than 13 percent with no lower limit) and by using existing clinic staff to deliver the training and follow-up. Internal validity and treatment fidelity were maximised by quality assuring the training of all DAFNE educators, by external peer review of the group follow-up sessions and by striving for full attendance at follow-up visits. Assays of HbA(1c) were undertaken in a central laboratory. DISCUSSION: This pragmatic clinical trial evaluating group follow-up after a structured education programme has

Full Text Available Abstract Background Fall-related hip fractures result in significant personal and societal consequences; importantly, up to half of older adults with hip fracture never regain their previous level of mobility. Strategies of follow-up care for older adults after fracture have improved investigation for osteoporosis; but managing bone health alone is not enough. Prevention of fractures requires management of both bone health and falls risk factors (including the contributing role of cognition, balance and continence to improve outcomes. Methods/Design This is a parallel group, pragmatic randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a post-fracture clinic compared with usual care on mobility for older adults following their hospitalization for hip fracture. Participants randomized to the intervention will attend a fracture follow-up clinic where a geriatrician and physiotherapist will assess and manage their mobility and other health issues. Depending on needs identified at the clinical assessment, participants may receive individualized and group-based outpatient physiotherapy, and a home exercise program. Our primary objective is to assess the effectiveness of a novel post-discharge fracture management strategy on the mobility of older adults after hip fracture. We will enrol 130 older adults (65 years+ who have sustained a hip fracture in the previous three months, and were admitted to hospital from home and are expected to be discharged home. We will exclude older adults who prior to the fracture were: unable to walk 10 meters; diagnosed with dementia and/or significant comorbidities that would preclude their participation in the clinical service. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to the Intervention or Usual Care groups by remote allocation. Treatment allocation will be concealed; investigators, measurement team and primary data analysts will be blinded to group allocation. Our primary outcome is mobility

Full Text Available Abstract Background Structured education programmes for individuals with Type 1 diabetes have become a recognised means of delivering the knowledge and skills necessary for optimal self-management of the condition. The Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE programme has been shown to improve biomedical (HbA1c and rates of severe hypoglycaemia and psychosocial outcomes for up to 12 months following course delivery. The optimal way to support DAFNE graduates and maintain the benefits of the programme has not been established. We aimed to compare 2 different methods of follow-up of DAFNE graduates in a pragmatic clinical trial delivered in busy diabetes clinics on the island of Ireland. Methods Six participating centres were cluster randomised to deliver either group follow-up or a return to traditional one-to-one clinic visits. In the intervention arm group follow-up was delivered at 6 and 12 months post DAFNE training according to a curriculum developed for the study. In the control arm patients were seen individually in diabetes clinics as part of routine care. Study outcomes included HbA1c levels, self-reported rates of severe hypoglycaemia, body weight and measures of diabetes wellbeing and quality of life. These were measured at 6, 12 and 18 months after recruitment. Generalisability (external validity was maximised by recruiting study participants from existing DAFNE waiting lists in each centre, by using broad inclusion criteria (including HbA1c values less than 13 percent with no lower limit and by using existing clinic staff to deliver the training and follow-up. Internal validity and treatment fidelity were maximised by quality assuring the training of all DAFNE educators, by external peer review of the group follow-up sessions and by striving for full attendance at follow-up visits. Assays of HbA1c were undertaken in a central laboratory. Discussion This pragmatic clinical trial evaluating group follow-up after a structured education

Full Text Available Abstract Background In primary care, up to 74% of physical symptoms is classified as unexplained. These symptoms can cause high levels of distress and healthcare utilization. Cognitive behavioral therapy has shown to be effective, but does not seem to be attractive to patients. An exception herein is a therapy based on the consequences model, which distinguishes itself by its labeling of psychosocial distress in terms of consequences rather than as causes of physical symptoms. In secondary care, 81% of the patients accepts this therapy, but in primary care the outcome is poor. We assume that positive outcome can also be reached in primary care, when the consequences model is modified and used bottom-up in an easily accessible group training, in which patients are relieved of being blamed for their symptoms. Our aim is to investigate the (cost-effectiveness of this training. Methods and design A randomized controlled trial is designed. One hundred patients are randomized to either the group training or the waiting list. Physicians in general practices and outpatients clinics of general hospitals refer patients. Referral leads to inclusion if patients are between 18 and 65 years old, understand Dutch, have no handicaps impeding participation and the principal DSM-IV-TR classification is undifferentiated somatoform disorder or chronic pain disorder. In contrast to other treatment effect studies, the co-morbidity of a personality disorder does not lead to exclusion. By this, we optimize the comparability between the study population and patients in daily practice enlarging the generalization possibilities. Also in contrast to other effect studies, we chose quality of life (SF-36 instead of physical symptoms as the primary outcome measure. The SF-6D is used to estimate Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs. Costs are measured with the Trimbos/iMTA Questionnaire for Costs associated with Psychiatric Illness. Measurements are scheduled at baseline, after

Functional somatic syndromes (FSS) are common in adolescents, characterised by severe disability and reduced quality of life. Behavioural treatments such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown promising results in children and adolescents with FSS, but has focused on specific syndromes such as functional pain. The current study will compare the efficacy of group-based ACT with that of enhanced usual care (EUC) in adolescents with a range of FSS operationalised by the unifying construct of multiorgan bodily distress syndrome (BDS). A total of 120 adolescents aged 15-19 and diagnosed with multiorgan BDS, of at least 12 months duration, will be assessed and randomised to either: (1) EUC: a manualised consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist and individualised treatment plan or (2) manualised ACT-based group therapy plus EUC. The ACT programme consists of 9 modules (ie, 27 hours) and 1 follow-up meeting (3 hours). The primary outcome is physical health, assessed by an Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) aggregate score 12 months after randomisation. Secondary outcomes include self-reported symptom severity, symptom interference, depression and anxiety, illness worry, perceived stress and global improvement; as well as objective physical activity and bodily stress response measured by heart rate variability, hair cortisol and inflammatory biomarkers. Process measures are illness perception, illness-related behaviour and psychological flexibility. The study is conducted in accordance with Helsinki Declaration II. Approval has been obtained from the Science Ethics Committee of the Central Denmark Region and the Danish Data Protection. The results will be sought to be published according to the CONSORT statement in peer-reviewed journals. This is one of the first larger randomised clinical trials evaluating the effect of a group-based intervention for adolescents with a range of severe FSS. NCT02346071; Pre-results. Published by the BMJ

Full Text Available Abstract Background The prevalence of heavy drinking among college students and its associated health related consequences highlights an urgent need for alcohol prevention programs targeting 18 to 24 year olds. Nevertheless, current alcohol prevention programs in the Netherlands pay surprisingly little attention to the drinking patterns of this specific age group. The study described in this protocol will test the effectiveness of a web-based brief alcohol intervention that is aimed at reducing alcohol use among heavy drinking college students aged 18 to 24 years old. Methods/Design The effectiveness of the What Do You Drink web-based brief alcohol intervention will be tested among 908 heavy drinking college students in a two-arm parallel group randomized controlled trial. Participants will be allocated at random to either the experimental (N = 454: web-based brief alcohol intervention or control condition (N = 454: no intervention. The primary outcome measure will be the percentage of participants who drink within the normative limits of the Dutch National Health Council for low-risk drinking. These limits specify that, for heavy alcohol use, the mean consumption cannot exceed 14 or 21 glasses of standard alcohol units per week for females and males, respectively, while for binge drinking, the consumption cannot exceed five or more glasses of standard alcohol units on one drinking occasion at least once per week within one month and six months after the intervention. Reductions in mean weekly alcohol consumption and frequency of binge drinking are also primary outcome measures. Weekly Ecological Momentary Assessment will measure alcohol-related cognitions, that is, attitudes, self-efficacy, subjective norms and alcohol expectancies, which will be included as the secondary outcome measures. Discussion This study protocol describes the two-arm parallel group randomized controlled trial developed to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based brief

Mental illness is a significant and growing problem in Canadian healthcare organizations, leading to tremendous personal, social and financial costs for individuals, their colleagues, their employers and their patients. Early and appropriate intervention is needed, but unfortunately, few workers get the help that they need in a timely way due to barriers related to poor mental health literacy, stigma, and inadequate access to mental health services. Workplace education and training is one promising approach to early identification and support for workers who are struggling. Little is known, however, about what approach is most effective, particularly in the context of healthcare work. The purpose of this study is to compare the impact of a customized, contact-based education approach with standard mental health literacy training on the mental health knowledge, stigmatized beliefs and help-seeking/help-outreach behaviors of healthcare employees. A multi-centre, randomized, two-group parallel group trial design will be adopted. Two hundred healthcare employees will be randomly assigned to one of two educational interventions: Beyond Silence, a peer-led program customized to the healthcare workplace, and Mental Health First Aid, a standardized literacy based training program. Pre, post and 3-month follow-up surveys will track changes in knowledge (mental health literacy), attitudes towards mental illness, and help-seeking/help-outreach behavior. An intent-to-treat, repeated measures analysis will be conducted to compare changes in the two groups over time in terms of the primary outcome of behavior change. Linear regression modeling will be used to explore the extent to which knowledge, and attitudes predict behavior change. Qualitative interviews with participants and leaders will also be conducted to examine process and implementation of the programs. This is one of the first experimental studies to compare outcomes of standard mental health literacy training to an

Depression is a mental health condition which affects millions of people each year, with worldwide rates increasing. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is recommended in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the treatment of depression. However, waiting lists can cause delays for face-to-face therapy. Also a proportion of people decline to present for help through the health service - the so-called treatment gap. Self-referral to CBT using community-based group interventions delivered by a voluntary sector organization may serve to resolve this problem. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to determine the efficacy of such a guided CBT self-help course, the 'Living Life to the Full' (LLTTF) classes delivered by the charity Action on Depression (AOD). The primary outcome is level of depression at 6 months assessed using the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ9) depression scale. Secondary measures include levels of anxiety and social functioning. Participants with symptoms of low mood will be recruited from the community through newspaper adverts and also via the AOD website. Participants will receive either immediate or delayed access to guided CBT self-help classes - the eight session LLTTF course. The primary endpoint will be at 6 months at which point the delayed group will be offered the intervention. Levels of depression, anxiety and social functioning will be assessed and an economic analysis will be carried out. This RCT will test whether the LLTTF intervention is effective and/or cost-effective. If the LLTTF community-based classes are found to be cost effective, they may be helpful as both an intervention for those already seeking care in the health service, as well as those seeking help outside that setting, widening access to psychological therapy. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN86292664.

The detailed know-how to implement research protocols frequently remains restricted to the research group that developed the method or technology. This knowledge often exists at a level that is too detailed for inclusion in the methods section of scientific articles. Consequently, methods are not easily reproduced, leading to a loss of time and effort by other researchers. The challenge is to develop a method-centered collaborative platform to connect with fellow researchers and discover state-of-the-art knowledge. Protocols.io is an open-access platform for detailing, sharing, and discussing molecular and computational protocols that can be useful before, during, and after publication of research results.

Music therapy is the supervised and therapeutic use of music by a credentialed therapist to promote positive clinical outcomes. It can be a valuable form of complementary medicine in the oncology setting to decrease patient stress and anxiety, relieve pain and nausea, provide distraction, alleviate depression, and promote the expression of feelings. The music therapist assesses the patient and consults other members of the multidisciplinary team to create a therapeutic treatment plan. Music therapists design music sessions based on patients' needs and their intended therapeutic goals. Patients can participate actively or passively in individual or group sessions. Only a credentialed music therapist can provide safe and beneficial music therapy interventions.

Imatinib, the first and arguably the best targeted therapy, became the springboard for developing drugs aimed at molecular targets deemed crucial to tumours. As this development unfolded, a revolution in the speed and cost of genetic sequencing occurred. The result--an armamentarium of drugs and an array of molecular targets--set the stage for precision oncology, a hypothesis that cancer treatment could be markedly improved if therapies were guided by a tumour's genomic alterations. Drawing lessons from the biological basis of cancer and recent empirical investigations, we take a more measured view of precision oncology's promise. Ultimately, the promise is not our concern, but the threshold at which we declare success. We review reports of precision oncology alongside those of precision diagnostics and novel radiotherapy approaches. Although confirmatory evidence is scarce, these interventions have been widely endorsed. We conclude that the current path will probably not be successful or, at a minimum, will have to undergo substantive adjustments before it can be successful. For the sake of patients with cancer, we hope one form of precision oncology will deliver on its promise. However, until confirmatory studies are completed, precision oncology remains unproven, and as such, a hypothesis in need of rigorous testing.

Background Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of physical disability in childhood. Spasticity is a significant contributor to the secondary impairments impacting functional performance and participation. The most common lower limb spasticity management is focal intramuscular injections of Botulinum Toxin-Type A accompanied by individually-delivered (one on one) physiotherapy rehabilitation. With increasing emphasis on improving goal-directed functional activity and participation within a family-centred framework, it is timely to explore whether physiotherapy provided in a group could achieve comparable outcomes, encouraging providers to offer flexible models of physiotherapy delivery. This study aims to compare individual to group-based physiotherapy following intramuscular Botulinum Toxin-A injections to the lower limbs for ambulant children with cerebral palsy aged four to fourteen years. Methods/Design An assessor-masked, block randomised comparison trial will be conducted with random allocation to either group-based or individual physiotherapy. A sample size of 30 (15 in each study arm) will be recruited. Both groups will receive six hours of direct therapy following Botulinum Toxin-A injections in either an individual or group format with additional home programme activities (three exercises to be performed three times a week). Study groups will be compared at baseline (T1), then at 10 weeks (T2, efficacy) and 26 weeks (T3, retention) post Botulinum Toxin-A injections. Primary outcomes will be caregiver/s perception of and satisfaction with their child’s occupational performance goals (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure) and quality of gait (Edinburgh Visual Gait Score) with a range of secondary outcomes across domains of the International Classification of Disability, Functioning and Health. Discussion This paper outlines the study protocol including theoretical basis, study hypotheses and outcome measures for this assessor-masked, randomised

The clinical, immunologic, and virologic effects and the pharmacokinetics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) human hyperimmune immunoglobulin (HIVIG) were assessed in 30 HIV-infected children aged 2-11 years. All had moderately advanced disease with an immune complex-dissociated (ICD) p24 antigen >70 pg/mL and were on stable antiviral therapy. Three groups of 10 children received 6 monthly infusions of 200, 400, or 800 mg/kg of HIVIG, and serial immunologic and virologic assays were performed. HIVIG doses as high as 800 mg/kg were safe and well tolerated. The half-life of HIVIG, determined by serial p24 antibody titers, was 13-16 days, the volume of distribution was 102-113 mL/kg, and clearance was 5.6-6.0 mL/kg/day. Plasma ICD p24 decreased during the infusions, but CD4 cell levels, plasma RNA copy number, cellular virus, immunoglobulin levels, and neutralizing antibody titers were minimally affected by the infusions. Clinical status did not change during the 6-month infusion and 3-month follow-up periods.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of vigorous exercise on functional abilities by means of a Senior Fitness Test (SFT) in a group of elderly adults. Twenty healthy and inactive people performed vigorous exercise (VE: 12 men and 8 women, aged 69.6 ± 3.9 years). At the beginning of the study (T0) and after 3 months (T1), each subject's functional ability was tested for muscular strength, agility, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and balance. The VE was designed with continuous and interval exercise involving large muscle activities. Functional exercises were performed between 60% and 84% of heart rate reserve (HRR) for a duration of 65 minutes. Five out of the 6 SFTs performed were found significantly improved: Chair Stand (T0 12.4 ± 2.4, T1 13.5 ± 2.6, p exercises can improve functional mobility and muscle endurance in those over 65 years of age. SFTs are an effective method for assessing improvements in the functional capacity of elderly adults.

In low or middle income countries chronic diseases are rapidly becoming the main cause of disease burden. However, the main focus of health policymakers has been on preventing death from cancer and heart disease, with very little attention to the growing problem of long-term needs for care (dependence). Numbers of dependent older people are set to quadruple by 2050. The economic impact of providing long-term care is likely to be substantial. The study uses mixed methods and draws on and extends the population-based surveys conducted by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group. We focus on two countries in Latin America (Peru and Mexico), China and Nigeria. The surveys comprised baseline surveys of health, socioeconomic circumstances and care arrangements, repeated three to four years later. We are going back to these households to make a detailed assessment of the overall economic status and the use of health services by all family members. We will compare households where: a) an older resident became dependent between baseline and follow-up (incident care), b) one or more older people were dependent at both time points (chronic care), b) c) no older residents had needs for care (control households) for household income, consumption, healthcare expenditure and economic strain. In each of the four countries we are carrying out six detailed household 'case studies' to explore in more depth the economic impacts of dependence, and the social relations between household members and others in their network. The INDEP study will provide a detailed examination of the economic and social effects of care dependence in low and middle income settings. As the proportion of older people with needs for care rises rapidly in these countries, this neglected policy area is likely to become increasingly salient for families, communities and policymakers alike. Our detailed multilevel plans for dissemination will ensure that the study helps to put this important issue on the agenda for the

Up to now, the best treatment for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the induction of bone marrow hypoplasia by ablative combined chemotherapy; the prototype of these schedules is the so-called 7 + 3 (seven days of continuous infusion of cytarabine and three days of one-hour infusion of any anthracycline); these schedules require the support of both platelet transfusions and antibiotics. Other non-ablative schedules have also been tried in the treatment of such patients. Here we analyze the results of the treatment of 76 adult patients with AML; 43 were treated with the classical 7 + 3 schedule, whereas 33 were treated with a combination of chemotherapy used in non-ablative doses (TADOP: thioguanine, arabinosyl-citosine, doxorrubicin, vincristine and prednisone). The results were as follows, respectively, for 7 + 3 and TADOP: complete remission (CR) was achieved in 60 and 48% of patients (p NS); the number of cycles to achieve CR had a median of 1 and 5 months (p less than 0.001); the median duration of the CR was 21 and 10 months (p less than 0.05); fatal myelotoxicity was 30 and 42% (p NS), one-year disease free survival (DFS) was 45 and 46% (p NS) and three-year survival was 22% and 15% (p NS). Additionally, patients treated with 7 + 3 were divided into two groups according to the type of platelet transfusion support; those supported with apheresis equipment and those with centrifugation-derived platelets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group therapies are frequently applied in day hospitals for the treatment of anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders in Poland and other Eastern European countries. Yet there is not enough evidence as to their effectiveness in this environment; this study addresses this gap. The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of these two kinds of day treatment care consisting of intensive, short-term group psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapy, for patients with anxiety disorders and/or comorbid depressive or personality disorders. Our objectives are to: 1) show the effectiveness of each treatment in a day-care setting relative to the wait-list control group; 2) demonstrate the relative short- and long-term effectiveness of the two active treatments; 3) carry out a preliminary examination of the predictors and moderators of treatment response; 4) carry out a preliminary examination of the mediators of therapeutic change; and 5) compare the impact of both methods of treatment on the outcome of the measures used in this study. In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 199 patients with anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive and/or personality disorders will be assigned to one of three conditions: 1) psychodynamic group therapy; 2) cognitive-behavioral group therapy; or 3) wait-list control group. The therapy will last 12 weeks. Both treatments will be manualized (the manuals will address comorbidity). Primary outcome measures will include self-reported symptoms of anxiety, observer-rated symptoms of anxiety, global improvement, and recovery rate. Secondary outcome measures will include the number of pathological personality traits, depression, self-esteem, defense mechanisms, beliefs about self and others, interpersonal problems, object relations, parental bonding, meta-cognition, and quality of life. Measures will be taken at baseline, post-treatment, and at six months following

An analysis of economic and logistical problems of radiation oncology is presented based on domestic and foreign literature. Despite the high efficacy of radiotherapy this branch of oncology is not financed enough in most countries. As a consequence, it is ubiquitously marked radiotherapy capacity deficit that does not allow to fully realize its therapeutic potential. Medical electron accelerators and related equipment have become increasingly complex and expensive and radiotherapy techniques more consuming. Even in developed countries growing waiting times for radiotherapy, not using the most modern and efficient radiotherapy technologies (image guiding, etc.) has become a daily reality. Based on these data, we assessed the prospects and possibilities of upgrading the technical base of radiation oncology in Russia including the development of hadron therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Robot-assisted surgery has become more widespread in gynecological oncology. The purpose of this systematic review is to present current knowledge on robot-assisted surgery, and to clarify and discuss controversies that have arisen alongside the development and deployment. MATERIAL...... AND METHODS: A database search in PubMed and EMBASE was performed up until 4 March 2016. The search strategy was developed in collaboration with an information specialist, and by application of the PRISMA guidelines. Human participants and English language were the only restrictive filters applied. Selection...... was performed by screening of titles and abstracts, and by full text scrutiny. From 2001 to 2016, a total of 76 references were included. RESULTS: Robot-assisted surgery in gynecological oncology has increased, and current knowledge supports that the oncological safety is similar, compared with previous...

Cancer is a complex, multifactorial disease that for years has been the focus of intensive research efforts to explore both the molecular and biological mechanisms involved and the development of novel agents to target these pathways. Servier is an independent French pharmaceutical company with a focus on oncology. Currently, Servier's commercial portfolio includes agents used to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and metastatic colorectal cancer; Servier's oncology pipeline involves agents for the treatment of both solid and hematological tumors. The main areas of future research focus on the development of therapeutics targeting apoptosis or the active immune components involved in tumour development/maintenance. Servier intends to continue its focus on cutting-edge oncology innovation by collaborating with both industry and academia, and maintaining its strong patient-centered approach.

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an imaging modality that provides computed tomographic images using a rotational C-arm equipped with a flat panel detector as part of the Angiography suite. The aim of this technique is to provide additional information to conventional 2D imaging to improve the performance of interventional liver oncology procedures (intraarterial treatments such as chemoembolization or selective internal radiation therapy, and percutaneous tumor ablation). CBCT provides accurate tumor detection and targeting, periprocedural guidance, and post-procedural evaluation of treatment success. This technique can be performed during intraarterial or intravenous contrast agent administration with various acquisition protocols to highlight liver tumors, liver vessels, or the liver parenchyma. The purpose of this review is to present an extensive overview of published data on CBCT in interventional oncology of the liver, for both percutaneous ablation and intraarterial procedures.

The recent advance in hybrid imaging techniques enables offering simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in various clinical fields. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET has been widely used for diagnosis and evaluation of oncologic patients. The growing evidence from research and clinical experiences demonstrated that PET/MRI with FDG can provide comparable or superior diagnostic performance more than conventional radiological imaging such as computed tomography (CT), MRI or PET/CT in various cancers. Combined analysis using structural information and functional/molecular information of tumors can draw additional diagnostic information based on PET/MRI. Further studies including determination of the diagnostic efficacy, optimizing the examination protocol, and analysis of the hybrid imaging results is necessary for extending the FDG PET/MRI application in clinical oncology.

To implement modified dynamic conformal arc (MDCA) technique and Radiation Therapy OncologyGroup (RTOG) protocols in our clinic for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment of patients with Stage I/II non–small cell lung cancer. Five patients with non–small cell lung cancer have been treated with SBRT. All the patients were immobilized using CIVCO Body Pro-Lok system and scanned using GE 4-slice computed tomography. The MDCA technique that was previously published was adopted as our planning technique, and RTOG protocols for the lung SBRT were followed. The patients were treated on Novalis Tx system with cone-beam computed tomography imaging guidance. All the patient plans passed the RTOG criteria. The conformal index ranges from 0.99 to 1.12 for the planning target volume, and the biological equivalent dose for the planning target volume is overall 100 Gy. Critical structures (lung, spinal cord, brachial plexus, skin, and chest wall) also meet RTOG protocols or published data. A 6-month follow-up of one of the patients shows good local disease control. We have successfully implemented the MDCA technique into our clinic for the lung SBRT program. It shows that the MDCA is useful and efficient for the lung SBRT planning, with the plan quality meeting the RTOG protocols.

Full Text Available For some oncologic emergencies, surgical interventions are necessary for dissolution or temporary relieve. In the absence of guidelines, the most optimal method for decision making would be in a multidisciplinary cancer conference (MCC. In an acute setting, the opportunity for multidisciplinary discussion is often not available. In this study, the management and short term outcome of patients after surgical oncologic emergency consultation was analyzed.A prospective registration and follow up of adult patients with surgical oncologic emergencies between 01-11-2013 and 30-04-2014. The follow up period was 30 days.In total, 207 patients with surgical oncologic emergencies were included. Postoperative wound infections, malignant obstruction, and clinical deterioration due to progressive disease were the most frequent conditions for surgical oncologic emergency consultation. During the follow up period, 40% of patients underwent surgery. The median number of involved medical specialties was two. Only 30% of all patients were discussed in a MCC within 30 days after emergency consultation, and only 41% of the patients who underwent surgery were discussed in a MCC. For 79% of these patients, the surgical procedure was performed before the MCC. Mortality within 30 days was 13%.In most cases, surgery occurred without discussing the patient in a MCC, regardless of the fact that multiple medical specialties were involved in the treatment process. There is a need for prognostic aids and acute oncology pathways with structural multidisciplinary management. These will provide in faster institution of the most appropriate personalized cancer care, and prevent unnecessary investigations or invasive therapy.

endoscopic diagnosis is likely to be impacted by a combination of biomarkers and technology, and 'endoscopic molecular imaging' should be defined as "visualization of molecular characteristics with endoscopy". These innovations will allow us not only to locate a tumor or dysplastic lesion but also to visualize its molecular characteristics (e.g., DNA mutations and polymorphisms, gene and/or protein expression), and the activity of specific molecules and biological processes that affect tumor behavior and/or its response to therapy. In the near future, these methods should be promising technologies that will play a central role in gastrointestinal oncology.

This is a qualitative study of listserv postings by members of the Social Work Oncology Network (SWON) in response to the Commission on Cancer's 2011 guidelines for distress screening of cancer patients. Archived listserv postings for the period of December 2010 to November 2011 were deidentified and a sample was derived by a list of keywords for the analysis. Aims of the study included describing the general categories and themes of the postings devoted to the new distress screening standard and examining the process of facilitation of mutual support and information exchange by oncology social workers in response to the new screening standards. During the 12-month timeframe there were 242 unique listserv postings sampled for the analysis. Oncology social worker (OSW) discussion of the distress screening guidelines remained a constant topic over the 12 months, and major themes that emerged from the data included processes of implementation of distress screening in cancer centers, screening policies and protocols, screening tool choice, and oncology social worker professional identity. The SWON listserv members used the listserv as a mechanism to post their requests for information on screening, to share their experiences in the beginning stages of implementing the guidelines, and to build support for legitimizing oncology social workers as the lead profession in the implementation of the guidelines in member cancer centers.

Based on necropsy review, neoplasia in reptiles has a comparable frequency to that of mammals and birds. Reptile neoplasia is now more frequently diagnosed in clinical practice based on increased use of advanced diagnostic techniques and improvements in reptilian husbandry allowing greater longevity of these species. This article reviews the current literature on neoplasia in reptiles, and focuses on advanced diagnostics and therapeutic options for reptilian patientssuffering neoplastic disease. Although most applied clinical reptile oncology is translated from dog and cat oncology, considerations specific to reptilian patients commonly encountered in clinical practice (turtles, tortoises, snakes, and lizards) are presented.

A Workshop entitled “Lessons Learned from Radiation Oncology Trials” was held on December 7–8th, 2011 in Bethesda, MD, to present and discuss some of the recently conducted Radiation Oncology clinical trials with a focus on those that failed to refute the null hypothesis. The objectives of this Workshop were to summarize and examine the questions that these trials provoked, to assess the quality and limitations of the pre-clinical data that supported the hypotheses underlying these trials, an...

The scientific literature contains a wealth of information concerning spontaneous fish neoplasms, although ornamental fish oncology is still in its infancy. The occurrence of fish neoplasms has often been associated with oncogenic viruses and environmental insults, making them useful markers for environmental contaminants. The use of fish, including zebrafish, as models of human carcinogenesis has been developed and knowledge gained from these models may also be applied to ornamental fish, although more studies are required. This review summarizes information available about fish oncology pertaining to veterinary clinicians.

The majority of information on oncology therapies has been reported in humans, canine, and feline patients, and laboratory animals with experimentally induced tumors. A variety of treatments,including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and others have been used with exotic animals. There are many species of exotic pets, and anatomic differences, as well as husbandry and nutritional requirements, must be taken into account to provide optimal care. By providing a broad overview of therapies and considerations for treatment, this article is intended to provide the practitioner with an overview of approach and options when addressing oncology cases in exotic animals.

BACKGROUND: The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry (DNOR) is a nationwide clinical cancer database that has prospectively registered data on patients with gliomas since January 2009. The purpose of this study was to describe the establishment of the DNOR and further to evaluate the database completen......BACKGROUND: The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry (DNOR) is a nationwide clinical cancer database that has prospectively registered data on patients with gliomas since January 2009. The purpose of this study was to describe the establishment of the DNOR and further to evaluate the database...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine trends in radiation oncology malpractice claims and expenses during the last 28 years and to compare radiation oncology malpractice claims to those of other specialties. Methods and Materials: We performed a retrospective analysis of closed malpractice claims filed from 1985 to 2012, collected by a nationwide medical liability insurance trade association. We analyzed characteristics and trends among closed claims, indemnity payments (payments to plaintiff), and litigation expenses. We also compared radiation oncology malpractice claims to those of 21 other medical specialties. Time series dollar amounts were adjusted for inflation (2012 was the index year). Results: There were 1517 closed claims involving radiation oncology, of which 342 (22.5%) were paid. Average and median indemnity payments were $276,792 and $122,500, respectively, ranking fifth and eighth, respectively, among the 22 specialty groups. Linear regression modeling of time trends showed decreasing total numbers of claims (β = −1.96 annually, P=.003), increasing average litigation expenses paid (β = +$1472 annually, P≤.001), and no significant changes in average indemnity payments (β = −$681, P=.89). Conclusions: Medical professional liability claims filed against radiation oncologists are not common and have declined in recent years. However, indemnity payments in radiation oncology are large relative to those of many other specialties. In recent years, the average indemnity payment has been stable, whereas litigation expenses have increased.

: An interpretive qualitative study was conducted guided by the family systems theory. Focus groups were completed with 62 nurses working in adult oncology areas in Denmark and Australia. A thematic analysis and a computer-generated concept mapping were completed to identify themes within the data. RESULTS: Overall...... the nurse's role in family assessment. CONCLUSION: This study identified that nurses value family as part of patient care, however struggle to assess and support families during oncology care. There is a need for a structured assessment approach and education on family assessment, which could be used across...

The prevalence of burnout in oncology staff was compared with that of the ophthalmology staff, who normally present a low prevalence of burnout as described in this literature. The correlation of burnout with the emotion of anger was also investigated. Thirty-six subjects working in an oncology department and 32 working in an ophthalmology department were examined using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. The oncologygroup showed higher mean scores on the MBI Emotive Exhaustion and Depersonalization scales with respect to ophthalmology staff. Correlation analysis showed that increasing burnout was associated with higher anger expressed towards the environment and loss of anger control. Anger, as a response to frustration, appears to be a feature constantly associated with the clinical expression of burnout and it should not be underestimated in theoretical and preventive contexts.

Ambulatory oncology nurses struggle to meet the increasing demands placed on them. Increased volume of patients, more complex treatments and symptom management, an older population with multiple co-morbidities combined with fiscal and human resource restraints has created job dissatisfaction and the feeling of powerlessness in the current environment. The Appreciative Inquiry process enables nurses to become engaged in planning and creating positive change based on their knowledge, experiences and clinical expertise, as oncology professionals. Through surveys and group work, nurses in this project were able to turn theory into positive practice change, inspiring a new paradigm of primary oncology nursing. Through the promotion of innovation, we have inspired hope while advocating for our profession.